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    1972 Lotus Elan Roadster Is Today’s Bring a Trailer Auction Pick

    The light and nimble Lotus Elan was the embodiment of founder Colin Chapman’s design philosophy. This refurbished 1972 example is powered by a 1.6-liter engine paired with a five-speed manual transmission.This Bring a Trailer online auction ends on Wednesday, July 19.Car and DriverNo company exemplifies a philosophy of Less Is More the way Lotus does. When its tiny Elan launched in 1962, it was Jaguar E-type money, for which you got a small-displacement four-cylinder engine and a featherweight chassis. But where the Jag was muscular and beautiful, the Lotus was mongoose-agile and hard to catch.Related StoriesUp for auction on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is a late-model example of that Lotus magic touch. It’s a 1972 Elan Sprint, fitted with a five-speed manual for a little more livability, and painted in colors that recall the Gold Leaf-sponsored Lotus F1 racing team of the late 1960s.Bring a TrailerThe 13-inch wheels are fitted with 185/70 Avon tires, and behind them lurk disc brakes at all four corners. A limited-slip differential helps get the power down out back, and the cabin has been cosmetically refreshed (despite the small size, the Elan is surprisingly roomy inside).The Elan wasn’t the first roadgoing Lotus, but it remains one of the best of the breed. Certainly, Mazda’s engineers thought so, as the original Miata is very nearly a modernized clone of an Elan.Bring a TrailerBut even a Miata looms over this Lotus. Measuring just under twelve feet long and with a curb weight of around 1500 pounds, the Elan is all about cutting every gram. For instance, the fiberglass hood doesn’t even have hinges, but rather just slots into place.Under that hood in this case is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder twin-cam engine good for a claimed 140 horsepower. When new, this engine was rated for 105 horsepower, and an Elan would sprint to 60 mph in a little over seven seconds, so this car should be very quick. The five-speed manual is from a later Elan 2+2 and should make highway cruising a little calmer.Bring a TrailerBut it won’t be boring. The light weight of an Elan means that it has hardly any inertia to overcome when accelerating, braking, or turning. It flits and flickers over a winding backroad with its buzzy four-cylinder engine on the boil, an internal-combustion hummingbird. The closest driving experience to it is its descendant, the Lotus Elise, which ceased production in 2021.The brand’s most recent product, the all-electric Eletre, has strayed far from this ethos. It’s as fast as you like with up to 905 hp, but it’s also the size of a Honda Pilot and tips the scales at 5500 pounds.Here’s your chance to rage against the dying of the lightweight. Per pound, the Elan may look fairly expensive when the dust settles. But as a prime example of Colin Chapman’s “Simplify, and add lightness” maxim, it’ll be worth every penny.Bring a TrailerContributing 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

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    Royal Enfield Electric Bobber By Bulleteer Customs – 90 Kms Range

    Royal Enfield Electric Bobber BuildWith around 5 kW of power from its rear hub motor, Royal Enfield Electric Bobber by Bulleteer Customs can travel 90 km on a single chargeElectric mobility is currently every automobile manufacturer’s future plan. The new wave of electric mobility is engulfing almost all automotive segments including 2W, 3W, 4W and even commercial trucks. Legacy motorcycle brands like Royal Enfield is also getting ready to enter this segment.Royal Enfield EVs launch is still some years in the future. But what if you wanted your old Bullet modified into an EV? An innovative marriage between old school and new age, isn’t it? Bengaluru-based Bulleteer Customs has done just that. Let’s take a look.With Owner and Maker Ricky from Bulleteer CustomsRoyal Enfield Electric BobberBulleteer Customs first showcased it at Royal Enfield Mania half a year ago. More recently, BikeWithGirl conversed with Ricky, owner and benefactor of this insane build. This is a custom motorcycle with Royal Enfield’s original chassis with modern electric powertrain.Even though it has ‘Gasoline’ written on its custom fuel tank for irony, this is a fully electric build. Donor vehicle is a 1984 Royal Enfield Standard, previously owned by Ricky’s father.[embedded content]The best thing about this motorcycle is not that it is electric. Instead, it is the attention to detail that Ricky has put into it. Battery cover is custom made to resemble a large engine with chrome finish fins. Ricky got this project done in less than a week.Royal Enfield Electric Bobber BuildThere is a large battery pack in the original chassis with candy red finish, where the engine used to be. Battery and motor controller are in its fuel tank. A 5 kW rear hub motor drives this vehicle. Battery takes 6 hours to fully charge and ekes out 90 km of range per charge.An absolute eye-candy!Because it is electric, it has a reverse function too. There are aggressive clip-on handlebars, machine-finished wheels, single disc setups at both ends, a custom instrument cluster unit, fat tyres, round headlights, and a lot of charisma and attitude about it. It looks so surreal and unreal at the same time.Royal Enfield Electric Bobber Build – ChargingRiding posture reminds me of Harley-Davidson Street Rod 750 with front-set footpegs like a cruiser and far-set handlebars like a track machine. BikeWithGirl asked Ricky what the cost would be to recreate a Royal Enfield Electric Bobber for customers with an old Bullet. He replied that there would be multiple choices in battery size and motor power. But a figure of around Rs. 3 lakh to 3.5 lakh is most probable, excluding donor vehicles cost. More

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    Made by Bajaj, Yulu DeX GR EVs marks entry into Bengaluru

    Yulu DeX GR EVsIt was the first batch of 3rd gen Yulu Dex GR that were handed over to delivery executives in BengaluruIt was early this year that Yulu, a shared electric mobility startup based in Mumbai announced the launch of two electric two wheelers Miracle GR and DeX GR along with Bajaj Auto. Both these models are manufactured by Chetak Technologies Limited (CTL), a subsidiary of Bajaj Auto Limited catering to its EV segment.The two bikes are ideally suited for daily commute and last mile deliveries and come in on a new platform specially designed and developed for electric two wheelers. Ideally suited for intra-city riding and capable of taking on India’s road conditions and climatic upheavals, the two electric scooters further the company’s plan to reduce carbon footprint. Yulu has helped save over 15,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.EVs are the preferred choice for last mile delivery and a recent survey indicated that over 50 percent of surveyed participants reported more than 30 percent saving on fuel expenses each month. Apart from saving, the users also mentioned benefits in terms of lower rent expenses, quieter ride and charging incentives and discounts.Third generation Yulu DeX GR EVs in BengaluruNow the third generation Yulu DeX GR EVs have been handed over to delivery executives in Bengaluru. The handing over ceremony was witnessed by honourable Chief Guest M.N. Anucheth, IPS, Joint Commissioner of Police, Traffic, in Bengaluru City. The electric bikes will help to enhance delivery rider’s income thanks to reduced expense on fuel while at the same time it will offer a better riding experience. It does not require a driving license to ride.Yulu DeX GR EVsThe third generation Yulu DeX GR EV comes in with improved features. It also sports better batteries offering higher ride uptime and longer range while the bikes are designed to take on added load capacities. The bikes will have access to a large charging infrastructure of Yuma Energy that operates one of the country’s largest network of battery swapping stations for electric two wheelers.Since launch, Yulu has doubled its fleet and is set to have around 1 lakh vehicles on the road by the end of this year targeting more than 10x growth in revenues. Currently, Yulu EVs are on offer in Pune, Mumbai, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru and Delhi with expansion planned to more cities in the months ahead.Yulu DeX GR EVs – Features, RangeYulu Miracle GR and Dex GR, manufactured by Chetak Technologies Limited are both limited to a top speed of 25km/h. Ideally suited both for personal use as well as last-mile delivery solutions, the two electric bikes are positioned on the same platform and also share a number of mechanical components.They sport LED headlamps, central stand and floorboard with foot pegs. It gets a single seat and a large rear carriage that can hold upto 15 kgs weight. Both the scooters get telescopic fork in the front and twin shock absorber suspension at the rear with drum brake set up at the front and rear. Both bikes command a top speed of 25 km/h and come in with swappable batteries. The batteries are powered by Yuma Energy that currently has around 100 stations in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru and plans to expand to 500 stations by 2024. More

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    Yellow Cars Paint a Bright Depreciation Picture, but Don’t Get a Gold One

    If you’re buying a car with resale value in mind, a bright color might be the way to go. According to some number-crunching by iSeeCars, three-year-old used cars depreciate the least if they’re yellow. Gold, though, depreciates the most.Those are the results for the used-car market as a whole. When you look at segments, different colors depreciate the least. Beige pickups, for example, hold their value the best.The most common vehicle colors—white, black, silver—depreciate at an average rate because they’re considered a safe choice. There’s a world of difference between yellow and gold. In the world of used-car sales, a vehicle’s color plays a noticeable role in determining the resale value. It turns out that yellow cars suffer the least depreciation, while gold vehicles sink like bullion in the sea. According to research by iSeeCars of the entire three-year-old used-car market, a used vehicle with yellow paint has a 13.5 percent depreciation rate, the best of all the colors. Yellow is followed by beige (17.8 percent) and orange (18.4). The overall average depreciation rate is 22.5 percent, but at the bottom of the list we find gold, with a 25.9 percent depreciation rate after three years.2018 Toyota Tacoma.Toyota/Michael Engelmeyer Common vehicle colors depreciate roughly the same as the market average. White used cars lost 21.9 percent, while silver and black both lost around 23 percent, just right to put them at 10th and 11th place, respectively, on iSeeCars’ 13-color ranking. “Notice how two of the most popular colors, silver and black, rank near the bottom of the list,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said in a statement. “Many consumers and dealers likely consider these colors ‘safe’ in terms of widespread acceptance, but they’re too common to help a car hold its value.”2023 Jeep Gladiator in High Velocity green.StellantisTwo-Tone, Bright Colors on the ReboundWhite and silver have been at or near the top of the color popularity list for what feels like forever. Back in 2009, PPG, a global paint and coating supplier, noted that silver was the most popular car color globally. White took over by 2011 and remained on top in 2014. In 2021, PPG’s Automotive Color Popularity Report found that two-tone finishes are making a comeback, and personalized colors are becoming more popular. PPG said that it found grays, blues, greens, and violets are popular colors today. Even so, white and black will continue to be the most popular colors for new vehicles worldwide. In 2021, 35 percent of all new cars were white, and 18 percent were black. Roy Ritchie|Car and DriverHyundaiTo determine the depreciation rates mentioned above, iSeeCars.com analyzed more than 1.6 million model year 2020 used cars, adjusted for inflation and then aggregated by color and body style. Not all colors depreciate at the same rate across vehicle segments, iSeeCars found. For example, the truck color with the lowest depreciation rate is beige, followed by orange and green. For sedans, brown models have the lowest depreciation. For minivans, it’s green. But this is obviously only one of the ways in which your new vehicle will depreciate and we have to put in our vote for getting whatever color you like best, even if (as is likely) it’s not beige.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.Contributing EditorSebastian Blanco has been writing about electric vehicles, hybrids, and hydrogen cars since 2006. His articles and car reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, SAE, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets. His first green-car media event was the launch of the Tesla Roadster, and since then he has been tracking the shift away from gasoline-powered vehicles and discovering the new technology’s importance not just for the auto industry, but for the world as a whole. Throw in the recent shift to autonomous vehicles, and there are more interesting changes happening now than most people can wrap their heads around. You can find him on Twitter or, on good days, behind the wheel of a new EV.  More

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    Experience 10Best Testing Like an Editor

    Have you ever wondered how editors conduct testing for Car and Driver’s 10Best? This year, for the first time, we are offering the public a chance to get the insider story and experience 10Best testing like an editor. Will you come along for the ride? Coming on September 8On Friday, September 8, 2023, we’re heading to North Star Reach camp in Pinckney, Michigan, to test a noteworthy crop of new vehicles, as we’ve done for the past 40 years. For some background, we will be evaluating cars plus trucks and SUVs, with the editors’ scores deciding which will make our 10Best list for 2024. To qualify as a 10Best contender, each vehicle must be on sale by January 31, 2024, have a base price of no more than $110,000, and be either new or significantly updated—with the exception of our inviting back the prior year’s winners to defend their spots on the list. We’re evaluating based on value, mission fulfillment, and how fun each vehicle is to drive. 10Best attendees will get a chance to get an up-close-and-personal look at the contender vehicles, learn about the 10Best evaluation process, and engage in one-on-one conversations with editors. Then, they’ll buckle up for ride-alongs on the test route and experience the cars in action as they zip through the back roads of Pinckney. Afterward, they’ll swap notes with editors and fellow enthusiasts and cast their votes for the Car and Driver 10Best Reader’s Choice Award. We’ll also have fun offerings along the way, including a lunch from local favorite Zingerman’s Delicatessen at the Car and Driver base camp and gift bags filled with Car and Driver gear. 2024 10Best Cars results will be published in the January 2024 issue of Car and Driver and 10Best Trucks results will be published in the February/March 2024 issue, but attendees who join us will get a preview of the vehicle lineup months before the story is live. Spots are limited for this exclusive editorial experience, so don’t wait to register. We hope to see you there in September.For another chance to experience Car and Driver editorial testing, you can also attend Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap, plus Road & Track’s Performance Car of the Year. REGISTER HERE More

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    Top 10 Two Wheelers June 2023 – Splendor, Shine, Activa, Pulsar, Jupiter

    2023 Hero Splendor 125cc XTECHigher costs and rising EMIs hampered sales in the two wheeler segment in India in June 2023Two wheeler sales in June 2023 dipped both on YoY and MoM basis. Taking the top 10 two wheelers into account, most of which regularly lead this list, total sales stood at 9,19,931 units in June 2023, down 4.05 percent when compared to 9,58,761 units sold in June 2022. It was also a MoM decline in sales as there had been 11,10,593 units sold in May 2023.Top 10 2W Sales June 2023Once again it was the Hero Splendor that topped sales charts last month. However, sales fell 12.03 percent YoY to 2,38,340 units, down from 2,70,923 units sold in June 2022. This was a volume de-growth of 32,583 units. MoM sales also fell significantly as there had been 3,42,526 units sold in May 2023. Hero Splendor currently commands a 25.91 percent share on this list. It currently underwent a price hike as Hero MotoCorp announced a flat 1.5 percent increase in prices of all of its products.Top 10 Two Wheelers June 2023Honda Shine was at No 2, with sales improving YoY by 4.74 percent to 1,31,920 units, up from 1,25,947 units sold in June 2022. The 2023 CB Shine has just been launched in India. It gets some updated features and is now BS6 Stage 2 compliant.At No 3 is Honda Activa. Sales have been lackluster over the past few months. Activa sales were down 29.01 percent YoY to 1,30,830 units in June 2023. This was against 1,84,305 units sold in June 2022. It currently commands a 14.22 percent share on this list. MoM sales also dipped significantly as against 2,03,365 units sold in May 2023.Top 10 Two Wheelers June 2023Bajaj Pulsar was at No 4. Sales improved by 28.05 percent in June 2023 to 1,07,208 units. This was a volume growth of 23,485 units over 83,723 units sold in June 2022.2Ws with sub-1 lakh unit SalesLower down the sales list was the HF Deluxe with a 21.10 percent YoY de-growth to 89,275 units in June 2023. This was a 23,880 unit volume de-growth when compared to 1,13,155 units sold in June 2022. The 2023 HF Deluxe was launched in June 2023. Prices now start from Rs 60,760 for the kick variant and Rs 66,408 for the self-start variant.YoY sales increased for the TVS Jupiter (64,252 units) and Hero Passion (47,554 units). Hero had launched the new Passion Plus in June 2023 with new and improved features.The list also included the Suzuki Access (39,503 units) and Bajaj Platina (36,550 units), both of which posted YoY growth while TVS XL100 moped with 34,449 units sold last month experienced a 7.84 percent YoY decline. More

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    Corvette Legend Reeves Callaway Dead at 75

    Reeves Callaway, founder of Callaway Cars and a legend in the Corvette world, has died. Callaway Cars confirmed in an email that he passed on Tuesday after injuries sustained in a fall in his Newport Beach, California, home. He was 75.Ely “Reeves” Callaway III was born in November 1947 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and raised in Darien, Connecticut. His father, Ely Callaway, founded the Callaway golf company, one of the world’s premier manufacturers of golf clubs. He raced go-karts as a kid and, in 1973, won the SCCA Formula Vee championship. By 1976 he was an instructor at the Bob Bondurant School of High-Performance Driving.After his professional racing career didn’t pan out, he turned his attention to modifying cars. His first product, a turbocharger kit for the E21-generation BMW 320i, generated enough interest to lead Callaway to start Callaway Cars from his garage in Old Lyme, Connecticut, in 1977. Soon he began offering performance kits for other cars.Callaway Cars”We don’t call ourselves a tuner,” Callaway told Road & Track in a 2017 interview. “A tuner takes an aggregate of parts that already exists, bolts them on the automobile, and calls it a customization. Everything we make is made specifically for the car. And we manufacture it ourselves.”Callaway ArchivesQuickly, his work attracted attention from major automakers. Alfa Romeo was the first, commissioning a turbocharger kit for the GTV6 that debuted in 1983, then it was GM. Callaway developed a twin-turbo kit for the Chevrolet Corvette, which became available through Chevy dealerships in 1987. At the time, a standard Corvette offered 240 horsepower; Callaway’s twin-turbo Corvette upped that to 382 horsepower, making it one of the most powerful cars on sale at the time.The 254.76-mph Callaway SledgehammerCallaway CarsEver faster Corvettes followed, perhaps the most famous being the Sledgehammer, a C4 Corvette with low-drag aerodynamic bodywork and an 898-hp twin-turbo V-8. The Sledgehammer hit a top speed of 254.76 mph and forever linked Reeves Callaway and the Chevrolet Corvette. DW BurnettWhile Callaway Cars worked with many other automakers, Aston Martin and Land Rover among them, its strongest association was with the Corvette. Callaway also built Corvette race cars, starting with the SuperNatural that made appearances at Le Mans in 1994 and 1995, finishing 2nd and 3rd in that year’s GT2 field, and culminating in a GT3 racing version of the C7 Corvette that still races globally to this day. A notable recent highlight was the C7 Corvette AeroWagen, which featured a body kit that turned the coupe into a stylish shooting brake. Today, Callaway Cars’ offerings consist of upgrade packages for a variety of GM vehicles, including a supercharger kit for the new C8 Corvette.Callaway Cars”Thanks to Reeves’s visionary entrepreneurial spirit, Callaway Cars will continue to innovate and grow in the 21st century, inspired by his unique, extraordinary vision and by his personal example of integrity, resourcefulness, and leadership as our founder,” said his son Peter Callaway, Callaway Cars president, in a statement. “Dad’s passion for making beautifully designed and crafted machines can be seen in each and every project, and we remain devoted to executing to the highest standards, in true Callaway fashion. He was rarely found doing anything other than working towards the next milestone for the company. He was a charismatic leader with a sense of humor that we will all remember through various ‘Reeves-isms.’ I feel fortunate to have grown up working with him and the company.”He is survived by four children and two grandchildren. Senior ReporterA car enthusiast since childhood, Chris Perkins is Road & Track’s engineering nerd and Porsche apologist. He joined the staff in 2016 and no one has figured out a way to fire him since. He street-parks a Porsche Boxster in Brooklyn, New York, much to the horror of everyone who sees the car, not least the author himself. He also insists he’s not a convertible person, despite owning three. More

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    Alfa Romeo Slashes 2024 Giulia and Stelvio Prices by $1800

    Alfa Romeo has released U.S. specs and pricing for the updated 2024 Giulia and Stelvio.They both benefit from new headlights and a digital gauge cluster inside.Prices are down by $1800 across the lineup.Alfa Romeo sales are down through the first half of the year, but perhaps a price cut will help pick things up for the 2024 Giulia and Stelvio. Alfa’s sporty sedan and SUV models benefit from styling and technology updates for the new model year but cost $1800 less than the 2023 models.The 2024 Giulia now starts at $44,075 for the base rear-wheel-drive trim with a 280-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four. The Stelvio starts at $46,370 for the rear-wheel-drive Sprint trim. The two Alfas are also available in Ti, Veloce, and Competizione trim levels. All-wheel drive is a $2000 option on the Giulia and the base Sprint version of the Stelvio, but comes standard on all other versions of the Stelvio.Both models receive new cool-looking LED matrix headlights with a “3+3” arrangement, along with revised LED taillights. Inside, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster is new and standard across the board.Giulia and Stelvio QuadrifoglioThe high-performance Quadrifoglio versions don’t benefit from the same price cut, as they carry the same starting prices as 2023. That means $81,855 for the Giulia QF and $87,770 for the Stelvio QF.The only update is a newly available 100th Anniversary package that brings special styling touches. For $5400 extra on the Giulia and $7000 extra on the Stelvio, this appearance upgrade includes special logos, gold accent stitching, different graphics for the screens, carbon-fiber trim pieces, and gold brake calipers. It’s available in red, green, or black.More on Alfa RomeoSenior 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