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Flex Automotive launched its first American dealership in San Diego in 2022, and it now has a U.S.-specific model with the Windansea pickup truck.Based on the third-generation Toyota Tacoma, the Windansea sports a boxier front end with circular headlights and steel bumpers.The Windansea starts at $52,800, but the price ultimately depends on the cost of the donor truck. If you have a nostalgic streak but don’t consider yourself a Luddite, the Flex Renoca Windansea may be the pickup truck for you. In 2022, Japan-based Flex Automotive announced plans to open its first U.S. showroom in San Diego, selling 1990s and 2000s Toyota Land Cruisers with a redesigned front clip that mimics the classic FJ60-series Land Cruiser from the 1980s. The firm also hinted it was planning a Tacoma-based model exclusively for the United States. Flex finally pulled the wraps off this retro-styled truck, which it calls the Windansea.Flex AutomotiveBuilt off of the third-generation Toyota Tacoma—launched for 2016 and ending with the 2023 model year due to the release of the redesigned 2024 Tacoma—the Windansea features a boxier front end that integrates a rectangular grille replete with Toyota’s classic font. A pair of squared-off headlight housings each contain a circular headlamp and a rectangular turn-signal lens. The steel bumper protrudes from the bodywork, and the Windansea rides on simple steel wheels. Flex AutomotiveFlex Automotive listed the powertrain for the Windnsea as the Tacoma’s optional 278-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission, but the company notes that exact specifications depend on the individual donor vehicle. We imagine Flex Automotive won’t turn down a check for someone looking to give their four-cylinder or stick-shift Tacoma the Windansea treatment. There’s no evidence Flex Automotive’s touch extends past the bodywork.More Modern Throwback TrucksBuyers can choose from an array of options to spice up their Windansea. This includes items such as lift kits, bed racks, fog lights, and reupholstered seat options, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto-compatible head units for Windanseas based on older Tacomas without this tech. Other extras include side steps, an upgraded sound system, and WeatherTech floor mats. Flex says that the Windansea starts at $52,800, but the final price of this classic-looking modern pickup ultimately depends on the price paid for the donor vehicle and the extent of the truck’s customization.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 and Tag Heuer created a pair of bespoke 718 Cayman GT4 RS models to honor the Carrera Panamericana rally race in Mexico.The pairing is part of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch program—which means special request in German—which allows customers to create things like the recent Pixar-inspired Porsche Sally special based on the 911 Carrera GTS. The cars are intended to invoke design elements from the Porsche 550 Coupe, which two customer teams raced in the 1953 running of the Carrera Panamericana rally. When you have a stable full of historical racing cars as big as Porsche’s, you’re sure to have customers who want a modern take on classical favorites. The manufacturer’s newest examples are a pair of custom-made 718 Cayman GT4 RS models produced in conjunction with Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer. The pair is part of Porsche’s Sonderwunsch “special request” customization program and were built to commemorate the 70 years since two customer teams took part in the Carrera Panamericana rally in Mexico. PorscheThe cars are painted in Le Mans Silver Metallic, a special color in the Porsche history books, which was created for the 911 Carrera GTS Le Mans Centenaire Edition, and references the paint on the 1951 Le Mans winning 356 SL Coupe. The cars are distinguished from one another with the racing numbers 152 and 154 painted onto the doors and roofs of the respective models. Inside the special editions, the seats and door pulls are finished in Guards Red, while stitching on the steering wheel and dashboard is done in the signature red, white, and green colors of the Mexican flag. The door guards and the cup-holder panel are milled with a special “GT4 RS Panamericana Special” insignia, and the floormats proudly announce that each car is a product of the Sonderwunsch program. In addition to the hood and rear wing side plates, the Tag Heuer logo is embossed on the center armrest to mark the partnership. Car and DriverPerhaps the coolest addition to the Panamericana Special is the Tag Heuer stopwatch module in the center console of the 154 car. The clocks were designed and made by Tag Heuer exclusively for this project and are not available otherwise. According to Porsche, the left clock that displays the time has the typical Heuer Carrera Design, while the piece on the right is a stopwatch with a scale that helps the driver maintain the average speed during rallies. More on the 718 Cayman GT4 RSCar 154 will be driven in the first and second stages of this year’s Carrera Panamericana by actor Patrick Dempsey, while car 152 is slated to be auctioned for charity in early 2024. 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

The 2024 Lexus TX350 starts at $55,050, and the TX500h hybrid starts at $69,350.The TX550h+ plug-in hybrid will likely be even more expensive.Lexus says the TX350 and TX500h are on sale now and the plug-in hybrid will arrive in early 2024.Lexus has announced ambitious pricing for the new 2024 TX, as the three-row SUV will start at $55,000 for the TX350 and ranges up to over $76,000 for a loaded TX500h F Sport Performance hybrid model. That’s considerably more than the previous RX L, and thousands more than the starting prices of rival mid-size luxury SUVs such as the Infiniti QX60 and Cadillac XT6. We don’t even yet know pricing for the eventual TX550h+ plug-in hybrid, but that might top $80,000 given that it’s the most powerful version in the lineup.The front-wheel-drive TX350 model, which has a 275-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four, carries a base price of $55,050 and gets more expensive as you opt for the better-equipped Premium ($58,450) and Luxury ($60,950) trim levels. All-wheel drive costs $1600 extra.More on New Lexus ModelsPony up to the $69,350 TX500h and you get standard all-wheel drive thanks to a hybrid setup that includes the same turbocharged 2.4-liter inline-four plus electric motors. It produces 366 horsepower in total and essentially the same setup found in the related Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid Max. The TX500h comes standard with F Sport Performance upgrades including adaptive dampers and several appearance tweaks. It also offers a more expensive trim level with extra kit, the $72,650 TX500h F Sport Performance Luxury (say that two times fast).Lexus says the TX350 and TX500h models are reaching dealerships already, while the TX550h+ will go on sale in early 2024. Pricing for that model will be announced later on.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More