Motor News

“You can’t always get what you want,” exclaimed Mick Jagger on the Rolling Stones’ 1969 hit of the same title. That lyric rings true for many American car enthusiasts, who longingly look to Europe’s hatchback- and wagon-saturated market. Normally liftback lovers must admire from afar, but we recently got a rare chance to sample some of Volkswagen’s European models on an ice-covered lake in Arvidsjaur, Sweden. Unfortunately, after playing in the snow we must report back that our country is missing out on some excellent VWs that blend sensibility with driving aptitude. The latter is largely thanks to VW’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, which luckily is still found in VW’s American SUV offerings.Station-Wagon HeavenThe Passat name is still familiar in America, having only departed after the 2022 model year. Europe received a new generation in 2023, sold exclusively as a wagon. This author grew up in the back seat of a B5-generation Passat wagon, which boasted a handsome design, a spacious cargo hold, a leather-lined interior, and a mix of dynamic competence and structural solidity due in part to a platform shared with the Audi A4.Volkswagen2025 Volkswagen Passat Variant.The modern Passat Variant (that’s European for “wagon”) struck many similar notes in our limited on-road and extensive on-ice driving. Not only does the liftgate rise to reveal a capacious cargo area, but the rear seats are vastly roomy, with plenty of stretch-out space for this 5-foot 11-inch author. The cabin is wrapped in high-quality materials, and while there is an overreliance on touchscreen controls, the screens themselves were large and fairly straightforward to navigate.The Variant we drove was motivated by a turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel four-cylinder producing 190 horsepower, and while not especially zippy, it felt capable on the road. But it was on ice where we were most impressed by the Passat. With stability control off, the 4Motion system deftly divvied up power through the rear axle’s multiplate clutch. The throttle wasn’t incredibly responsive, but it wasn’t hard to get the Passat sideways, and once there it exhibited a graceful balance, allowing for long slides. Most wagon owners won’t drift their family cars en route to the school drop-off line, but the balance implies a reassuring sense of control that any parent would want with such precious cargo on board.Volkswagen2025 Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer GTX.We also drove the Passat’s battery-electric counterpart, the ID.7 Tourer GTX. VW initially aimed to sell the ID.7 stateside in sedan form before canceling those plans in January. On public roads, the ID.7 Tourer matched the Passat’s quiet, comfortable operation, albeit with more punch from the 335-hp dual-motor setup. The roomy cabin had lush materials and unique touches like a small gauge cluster screen showing only the most crucial information for a cleaner look.The ID.7’s higher curb weight made it trickier to control on the icy lake, however. The AWD system is rear-biased, with a 282-hp motor on the rear axle in the GTX. With stability control off—a function not yet available in VW’s EVs but which the company said it was developing for production use—the ID.7 was the easiest car to get sideways, a light blip of the reactive accelerator shooting a jolt of power to the rear wheels. Volkswagen2025 Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer GTX.But the car’s heft, touchy pedal, and vague steering also made it the most challenging car to keep sideways, exhibiting a propensity for a pendulum effect where the rear end quickly swung out of control. Most owners will probably never encounter such circumstances, but it speaks to how the added weight of electric platforms detracts from driving dynamics. Still, the ID.7 Tourer, one of the few electric wagons available worldwide, is a competent alternative to the sea of electric SUVs. It would’ve been a unique proposition in the U.S. had it ever come here.Hatchbacks GaloreVolkswagenCaleb Miller|Car and DriverDespite the event’s focus on the 4Motion system, we took a spin in the wee front-wheel-drive Polo GTI. The baby brother to the Golf GTI measures around eight inches shorter and packs a 204-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. While not particularly quick, the Polo stood out for its approachability. It has just enough power to be fun, but it was easy to recover from mistakes given the hatch’s propensity for understeer. The Polo GTI seems like a great beginner’s hot hatch. Returning to all-wheel drive, we hopped into a prototype for the Golf 4Motion, which goes on sale in Europe this summer. Powered by a 201-hp four-cylinder, the 4Motion uses a similar rear multiplate clutch setup as the Passat along with XDS+, VW’s simulated, brake-based limited-slip differential. The Golf 4Motion can send nearly 100 percent of the torque to the rear axle and proved to be incredibly well behaved on the ice, both easy to slide and easy to catch. Sadly, non-GTI or Golf R versions of VW’s hatch likely won’t return to our shores.Volkswagen2025 Volkswagen Golf R.While we can’t always get what we want, Jagger reminds us that, sometimes, you get what you need, and the best car to whip around VW’s ice course was the Golf R, which has been refreshed for 2025 and will continue to be sold in the U.S. While it’s sad to see the manual transmission depart, the seven-speed dual-clutch is among the best automatic transmissions, and the paddles responded quickly as we slid across the frozen lake. The direct steering inspired confidence, and the electronically controlled clutch packs nimbly distributed the torque between the wheels to keep the car traveling in a straight line, even when we were pointed sideways. The Golf R felt incredibly intuitive on ice, the sort of car you don’t need to think to drive—you just drive. We look forward to a more extended, on-road drive of the 2025 Golf R soon, but we won’t stop dreaming about VW’s enticing European wagons and hatchbacks.More on VW’s Hot HatchesCaleb 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

The Morgan Plus Six’s successor has been confirmed to be a stylish coupe called the Supersport that will use a BMW-sourced turbocharged six-cylinder.The Supersport will ride on Morgan’s new CXV platform, which it says is an evolution of the brand’s bonded aluminum chassis.The new flagship will be revealed in full during a livestream hosted by Richard Hammond on March 11.Break out your derby cap and corncob pipe; Morgan is launching a new car. With the aged British automaker having stopped production of the Plus Six in November last year, it’s time for a new flagship. After seeing pictures of the car last month, we now know it will be called the Morgan Supersport.Morgan confirmed the news today via the above social media post with TV personality and former Top Gear and Grand Tour co-host Richard Hammond. Hammond, who has owned multiple Morgan models in the past, also announced that he will host a livestream on March 11 to reveal the car in full.Morgan says the Supersport will use a new platform called the CXV, which is an evolution of the bonded aluminum chassis underpinning the Super Six. As with the Six, the Supersport will retain the BMW-sourced turbocharged six-cylinder engine. MorganThe new model is likely to continue the trend started by the Super Six of bringing the oft-laggard automaker into the modern era. Launched in 2019, the Six was the first car from Morgan to use turbocharging. It was also the first car from the brand with air vents on the dash. But don’t expect too many advancements. Outside of paying for a handbuilt car, part of Morgan’s charm is the loyalty to tradition.Late last year, Morgan confirmed plans to return to the United States in an official capacity with the Plus Four. The automaker received federal approval for its 12 U.S. dealers to sell a maximum of 325 cars each year. Unfortunately, the company hasn’t offered any hints as to whether the new Supersport will also migrate to our side of the pond. More on MorganJack 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

The 2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger plug-in hybrid will go on sale before the electric Ram 1500 REV but still won’t be out until later in the yeaer.Ram says it made the change due to waning demand for EV pickup trucks as well as higher interest from customers in the PHEV. The Ramcharger will now be available to order in the second half of 2025, with the REV slated to go on sale sometime in 2026. UPDATE 2/24/25: Just months after Ram announced the Ramcharger PHEV would leapfrog the Ram 1500 REV, brand CEO Tim Kuniskis has moved the goalposts again. According to Kuniskis, the Ramcharger is now scheduled to arrive sometime in the second half of the year. The battery-electric REV holds to Ram’s updated schedule and should arrive in 2026.Ram is rethinking its strategy for releasing its first electric pickup truck. Originally, the Ram 1500 REV was slated to go on sale sometime in the first half of 2025. However, the truckmaker has now decided to prioritize its first plug-in-hybrid pickup—the Ram 1500 Ramcharger—which will leapfrog the EV and take its production time slot.In December 2024, Ram announced that it had changed its initial plan. It cited waning demand for electric trucks as one of the reasons behind its decision as well as higher customer interest in the Ramcharger, which uses a gas engine to charge its battery and therefore eliminates the range anxiety that some buyers associate with owning an EV. It’s also worth mentioning that the Ramcharger is less susceptible to the shortcomings of towing with an electric truck. While it hasn’t been officially confirmed, Ram has said it’s targeting up to 500 miles of driving range from the REV with its larger 229.0-kWh battery. With a 350-kW connection, DC fast-charging is estimated to add 110 miles of range in about 10 minutes. Of course, skeptics will point out that it will still take less time to fill the Ramcharger’s fuel tank. It also remains to be seen how much either of Ram’s electrified trucks will cost, although we expect the all-electric one to be more expensive. According to Ram’s updated timeline, the Ramcharger will now be available to order in the second half of 2025, while the Ram 1500 REV is now slated to go on sale in 2026. Both trucks will be built in Ram’s factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan, alongside the rest of the brand’s half-ton lineup. This story was originally published December 18, 2024.More Ram 1500 ReadingEric 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

Volvo has discontinued the V60 Polestar Engineered plug-in-hybrid station wagon in the United States.A Volvo spokesperson confirmed to Car and Driver that the decision was made as Volvo moved V60 production to its facility in Ghent, Belgium.Thankfully, this doesn’t mark the death of all Volvo wagons in our market, with Volvo confirming that the V60 Cross Country and V90 Cross Country will continue. America’s misplaced lack of interest in the station wagon has struck again, this time taking out our favorite Scandinavian longroof: the Volvo V60 Polestar Engineered. Road & Track broke the news, reporting that Volvo’s consumer site reads, “The V60 Polestar Engineered plug-in hybrid is no longer available as a new vehicle in the US.”As sad as we are about it, we don’t blame the automaker for the decision. The company sold fewer than 3500 wagons in the U.S. last year, after all. In a statement to Car and Driver, a spokesperson for Volvo confirmed that the change came as production of the V60 migrated to the automaker’s production facility in Ghent, Belgium. Thankfully, the change doesn’t spell total destruction of Volvo’s North American wagon lineup. According to Volvo’s spokesperson, “Volvo Cars has decided to end production of the V60 Polestar Engineered model, focusing instead on the more popular Cross Country variant for the U.S. and Canada.” Well, beggars can’t be choosers. The most recent version of the most athletic V60 paired a 312-hp turbo four with a 143-pony electric motor for the rear axle to produce a combined 455 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque. An impressive 44 miles of EV range in our testing sweetened the pot even more. The surviving V60 Cross Country and V90 Cross Country feature less potent mills, with the former powered by a 247-hp turbocharged four-cylinder and the latter with 295 horsepower from a supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder with a 48-volt hybrid system. We just hope Americans can come to their senses in time to save the few remaining station wagons before the entire segment goes extinct. More on Volvo Station WagonsJack 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

Here’s a wonderful little Italian camper van, ideal for a slow-rolling holiday.Yes, Alfa Romeo did really once build vans. And isn’t “Autotutto” just fun to say?It won’t hit 50 mph, but taking it easy is the whole point.Fancy a little Roman Holiday? Check out this vintage camper built by Alfa Romeo. It’s up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). It will require a plane ticket and a bit of time off to properly enjoy, but we can’t imagine a more fitting way to meander through sun-kissed Mediterranean climes.Bring a TrailerAlfa Romeo is better known as the marque that built the racing cars Enzo Ferrari cut his teeth on. This wonderfully green T10 Autotutto is one of Alfa’s often-overlooked commercial models, vans and small trucks that delivered fresh foccacia and olives and who knows what else through the streets of Rome and beyond. Starting out life as a conventional van, this example spent its early life in Sicily and then Modena, and was later converted to a camper and refurbished. We love the details, from the white piping on the green vinyl seats to the roof-mounted 16-inch spare tire it wears like a beret.Bring a TrailerWhen new, the T10 could be optioned with a 750-cc engine shared with Alfa’s sedan range, or a small supercharged diesel inline twin. This camper has the latter, displacing 1158 cc, and it offers a very modest 31 horsepower. With a four-speed manual transmission, top speed is just 47 mph.Bring a TrailerThat’s not great for hammering down the autostrada, nor tackling the Alps. Instead, you’d simply have this little camper shipped down to Sardinia or Sicily, and spend a few weeks nosing around small towns on back roads, stopping in cafés and generally taking it easy. There’s a gas stove for cooking, a sink for cleaning up, and a picnic set for lunching in the shade of some gnarled olive tree.Bring a TrailerTake along a vintage film camera to document the trip, and you’d complete the 1950s European holiday experience. La dolce vita is waiting. The auction ends on February 27.Brendan 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

The Etna is a restomod take on the Lamborghini Gallardo from a Croatian firm. The V-10’s power gets a bit of a bump to 592 horsepower, but the big story is the 450-pound weight reduction.The build looks to capitalize on old-school baby Lambo charm and includes a conversion to six-speed manual.Built between 2003 and 2013, the Gallardo was a success for Lamborghini, with just over 14,000 sold over its production run. A decade later, it’s somewhat overshadowed by the Huracán, while the V-12-powered Murciélago of the same era is undergoing something of a renaissance. However, a Croatian coachbuilder says it has the fix for the first-generation cars.You probably haven’t heard of Zagreb-based Tedson Motors before, but the company has been around for a few years in the restomod 911 business. Its launch product was a reworked Porsche 964, although one that took a slightly different angle than similar 911 reimaginings from Singer or Guntherworks. Called the Daydream, Tedson’s machine incorporated a 540-hp air-cooled flat-six that paired with an electric flywheel to provide hybrid power. The added low-end torque was claimed to fling the car past 60 mph in under three seconds.Goran Turkić, Tedson’s owner, caught the restomod bug after studying physics in Irvine, California, and building his own 1975 911 project. The first Daydream was revealed in Monaco in 2022, and this new Gallardo-based restomod, called the Etna, now adds to the company’s portfolio.As is the case elsewhere, you have to provide your own Gallardo to start, although Tedson says it won’t mess with the rarer manual-transmission models. A full carbon-fiber body replaces the original sheetmetal, and when combined with a titanium exhaust sees a weight drop of an impressive 450 pounds. The car is also wider, with aerodynamic upgrades, but overall it looks quite subtle, capped off with 19-inch wheels.From an engineering standpoint, Tedson will convert the transmission to a six-speed gated manual unless a customer really wants to hang on to the E-Gear automatic, and the 5.0-liter V-10 is reworked to provide 592 horsepower. The factory suspension is also sorted with components from some of the Super Trofeo cars, and the brakes are upgraded too.Suitably remastered, the Etna retains some old-school Gallardo elements like hydraulic steering and an even-firing order for the V-10. (Quick sidebar here: later V-10 Lamborghinis share the Audi R8’s odd-fire order, which results in slightly more vibration and a different tone. Some Lambo purists prefer the note of the old even-fire.) Tedson says only 77 cars will be made, and each of them will take about a full year to make. Customers can of course choose all kinds of customization options, as you’d expect for the steep nearly-$800,000 price.The restomod 911 market is fairly saturated now, so it’s not surprising to see a company expanding into new space. The Etna looks like a well-executed effort, we’ll have to wait to see how many buyers want to dig deep for a modernized Gallardo. From the C/D ArchiveBrendan 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

Cosworth builds some of the best engines in the world. Here’s one in a sensible, practical package.This rare Ford Sierra Cosworth takes the brand’s European family sedan to another level.This one is in Texas and unlike many imported Cossie Fords, it has the steering wheel on the correct (left) side.The name Cosworth graces the engine bay of some of the world’s greatest exotics. The Bugatti Tourbillion. The Aston Martin Valkyrie. The Gordon Murray–designed, V-12–powered T.50. Each is breathtakingly fast, each highly tempting, each unfortunately also staggeringly expensive. Besides, you need a four-door for the kids. But what if you could get that sedan with the heartbeat of a hypercar?Bring a TrailerThis 1989 Ford Sierra sedan and it offers just that: a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from the keepers of the flame at Cosworth, and it’s up for sale on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos).Cosworth has a long history stretching back to the golden age of Formula 1. And it also have a history of imbuing European Fords with extra moxie. The Escort Cosworth and the Sierra Cosworth are hero cars across the Atlantic. Cosworth is based in the UK, as are many “Cossie” Ford fans, which means cars that find their way to the U.S. are often right-hand-drive. Happily, this example originally hails from Italy, so the wheel and pedal are on the left, where you’re used to finding them.Bring a TrailerEven better, perhaps, is that this Sierra is the sedan rather than the coupe. The four-door variant is hard to find and quite subtle, capable of surprising fellow drivers. “Is that a Merkur?” “Why the heck is that Tempo so dang fast?”Bring a TrailerThe answer lies under that anonymous white hood, the red-headed, YB-Series 2.0-liter inline-four. Fitted with factory turbocharging, this engine was rated at 204 horsepower and 205 pound-feet of torque, but of course racers and tuners could unlock much more power by pouring on the boost. Happily, this one hasn’t been fiddled with, and still puts down stock power through a five-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels. There’s the equivalent of 55K miles on the odometer.Bring a TrailerThe cabin is all business in light gray, the well-bolstered Recaro seats and thick-rimmed three-spoke wheel the only hints towards sportiness. The stereo’s non-operational, but a YB has a really unique yowl to it, so just roll your windows down and give the throttle pedal some welly.Related StoriesLeave the influencer crowd to pose in front of their seven- or eight-figure machinery that will rarely see anything more challenging than a London high street. Instead, fly under the radar with this white sedan riding on its discreet 15-inch alloys, knowing you’re using one of the best fast Fords just the way Cosworth intended. The auction ends on February 25.Brendan 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

Stellantis has shown off a new hands-free driving system that allows for up to Level 3 self-driving—to a point.The system allows for the driver to take their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road, but only up to 37 mph. The company is working on developing the system up to 59 mph, but there’s no timeline for when either system will be added to a car you can buy. Stellantis unveiled a new hands-free driving system that it says would allow users to watch movies, read emails, or confront the cold grip of reality while staring into the dark abyss that is the universe . . . Assuming, of course, that you’re driving under 37 miles per hour. You’ll also need to make sure you don’t get too lost in your reality check because even vehicles with SAE Level 3 autonomous-driving ratings might ask you to take control back.StellantisStellantis fittingly calls the new system STLA AutoDrive 1.0. With the speed capped at 37 mph, the system is designed for commuters in dense urban areas that often experience bumper-to-bumper traffic. It will apparently work in low-light and night conditions and even in poor weather. When traffic and environmental conditions allow it, a message will prompt drivers that AutoDrive is available. They can then activate the system with a physical button, prompting the AutoDrive to take control of steering, following distance to the car ahead, and adjusting speed and braking. Stellantis said it’s also working to develop the system further and hopes to increase the top speed to 59 mph, while also adding off-road capabilities down the line. In a written statement to Car and Driver, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the system isn’t available yet. “Our Level 3 technology is fully developed and ready for deployment, but the current market for autonomous driving at this level remains very limited. We have made the strategic decision not to launch it at this time. Once the market matures and conditions become more favorable, we will evaluate the path to commercialization,” the spokesperson said. More on Autonomous DrivingJack 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