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A day at the track is not limited to the able-bodied anymore. Performance driving programs are out there for people with disabilities.The use of unique controls can open up new possibilities for people with restricted arm or leg movement or visual impairment.In the world of racing, drivers with limited mobility have been participating—and excelling—in Esports as well as on real-world racing teams.A track day full of low-slung, loud, and exuberant supercars is a dream come true for many car enthusiasts. In the past decade, supercar track experiences have become popular and relatively common. Most major racetracks have a program for first-timers to get behind the wheel, either with their own cars or rented speed machines. Even better, some have instructors to help new drivers get acquainted with high-speed driving.For those with disabilities, these fun-run events can seem inaccessible, but there are people all around the world helping to make driving and even competing on track something that drivers with vision or mobility concerns can participate in. “Just because you have a physical disability or visual impairment, it does not mean experiences like this should be unavailable to you, and we want as many [people] as possible to be able to enjoy driving a supercar around a track,” explained Dan Jones of Driving Experience Days Limited in the U.K.Driving Experience Days Limited has partnered with a leading disability organization, AbleNet, to provide several high-performance adapted courses for those with restricted arm and leg movement, as well as people who are visually impaired or blind, bringing the joy of motoring to more drivers. The cars involved have been specially adapted with unique controls to make them more usable by those with limited mobility. A common modification is to the steering wheel, an addition called a steering ball that allows a car to be maneuvered with just one hand, even one with limited grip. This allows those unable to operate the traditional pedals to operate the vehicles with hand controls. Hand controls to replace foot pedals.Car and DriverMany of the vehicles feature an automatic gearbox as well, with the roster of rides including the Aston Martin DB9, McLaren 650S, Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari California, Nissan GT-R, and Audi R8. Even visually impaired drivers can take a spin in these supercars, with the help and guidance of a trainer. Those programs are both outside the U.S. for now, but there’s a nonprofit called Adaptive Driving Experience that is currently putting the final touches to a U.S.-oriented program that is oriented toward military veterans. “We have a race car derived from the NASCAR Car of Tomorrow chassis that Brian Keselowski raced in the Daytona 500,” director Danny Chrissanthis told C/D. “It’s got a small-block Chevy that makes about 400 horsepower but features swivel chairs and adapted controls, as well as a second set of controls for the passenger.”The idea is that a pro racer can coach the driver from the passenger seat, or take control and provide a hot lap. “We did all our modifications last year. We’re just waiting on our helmets and fire suits so we can host bigger groups,” explained Chrissanthis. The orders are in, so the program is set to start, but Adaptive Driving Experiences is just one of a few such programs in the U.S. Chrissanthis said they’ve contacted “various racetracks” about offering the program but that the response has been muted, with many saying the project just wouldn’t make enough money to cover the costs. It’s forced the organization to take a different approach. “I believe getting out on track and having people see that, watching the videos and how this experience impacts people will open doors and create more opportunities,” he says. Automaker Programs for Disabled DriversThe goal of expanding these high-performance driving experiences and lessons to those with limited access is shared with a few other organizations, including automakers. In 2021, BMW and Mini expanded their Driving Experience program to include Safety Training for people with physical disabilities. The program includes lessons about braking, evasive maneuvers, slalom driving, driving the ideal line, and drifting. While Driving Experience Days Limited’s program uses flashy supercars, the BMW 230i, BMW M3, and Mini John Cooper Works the BMW program uses have slightly different controls. Rather than use the ball, the BMW and Mini cars retrofit the steering wheel with a ring that acts as the throttle. This allows a user with limited lower-body mobility to accelerate without taking their hands off the wheel. These cars also have a hand-operated brake lever, to help users get control of the 510-hp M3 on track. BMW’s ring-type adapted steering wheel.BMW”Driving is self-determination and thus also a kind of freedom,” says instructor Bettina Schmidt-Kiendl in a news release by the automaker. Schmid-Kiendl uses a wheelchair and is an active driver. “With the new program, we want to give people with comparable disabilities the joy of driving that I also live every day.”Racing Academies and MotorsportsCompetitive drivers with disabilities have the opportunity to take their speeds to the big leagues. Team BRIT Racing is a sports-car team with a team of disabled drivers that participates in the British GT Championship, British Endurance Championship, Britcar Trophy, and Citroën C1 Series. Conceived in 2015, the racing team offers a racing academy for those with disabilities. There’s also an eSports team competing in Gran Turismo, iRacing, Assetto Corsa, and rFactor 2—and several of its drivers have secured podium finishes.Team BRITRacing is a different beast than track experiences, so Team BRIT Racing has developed a bespoke hand control system to operate the steering, brakes, clutch, throttle, and gearbox of its cars and racing sims. The Motorsport U.K.-approved system is how the team can compete against able-bodied racers in a variety of motorsports. With plans to race in the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race, the racing team has already delivered impressive finishes in the Britcar Trophy and Britcar Endurance GT4 ProAM, among others.Accessibility for the WinSupport for disabled drivers and advancements in this field don’t just benefit young enthusiasts who don’t want their disabilities to keep them from the cockpit. Racing remains dangerous, and accidents often leave formerly able-bodied racers unable to compete. Rising IndyCar star Robert Wickens suffered a violent crash in the 2018 ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway, which left him with limited use of his legs. Wickens (pictured at top) returned to racing in 2022 in the 2022 Michelin Pilot Challenge with Bryan Herta Autosport behind the wheel of the #33 Hyundai Elantra N with specially adapted hand controls. He quickly found success with BHA, scoring a podium with teammate Mark Wilkins in his first race at Daytona, and winning at Watkins Glen International and Canadian Tire Motorsports Park. He finished his first season in sixth place in the 2022 TCR championship and is continuing in 2023. Perspective is everything: accessibility may seem like a niche concern to most motorists, but expanding the world of motorsports and speed to those with different abilities is a win for everyone. If everyone can enjoy driving, then we can have more fun on the roads and tracks together. More

Oh, the Internet. Sometimes a website address takes you to a bicentennial history site; sometimes, that same URL brings up a site advertising gambling. Most of the time, when a URL changes owners or content, it’s not news. But it is when the new gambling URL can be found on almost a million official Maryland license plates.The mixup came from a 2007 plan to promote the state’s history with the War of 1812. After 15 years, someone forgot to renew the URL or just let it lapse. And here we are.Around 800,000 vehicles in Maryland have been driving around with official government documents that publicly promote an online casino in the Philippines. The documents in question here are license plates, leaving few options available to anyone who’d rather not support international Internet gaming as they’re out and about.The License Plate GameOriginally spotted by Reddit user Samuel Zehr and reported by Vice, the situation here revolves around Maryland license plates that were issued between 2012 and 2016. These plates were created to commemorate the War of 1812 as part of the state’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. The commission, established in 2007, came up with many ways for citizens to learn about and remember the war, including a social studies curriculum, improvements to historic war sites in the state, and a series of bicentennial activities and events. And, of course, the idea to put a website address, or URL, on state license plates that would direct people to a page with more information about the war.Seemed Like a Good Idea at the TimeMaryland was heavily involved in the war two centuries ago, so the idea to promote local history was good while it lasted. In fact, in 2010, people in Maryland approved of the “star-spangled design,” as The Baltimore Sun called it in a poll it conducted on the new plate design at the time. The problem came after the Commission’s authorization ended in June 2015, and you can probably guess how the website printed on the license plates, fell into someone else’s hands.According to Vice and the Internet Archive, the War of 1812 information was still up as of December, but since then, a new owner decided that online gambling was a better use of the domain name and adding useful information like the fact that “gambling is permitted in the Philippines” where “extremely lenient laws govern gaming.” The Washington Post noted that the 798,000 now-pro-gambling license plates are on about 15 percent of all registered vehicles in Maryland.Drivers who’d rather not promote gambling on their cars don’t have a lot of easy options. Sure, they could order a new plate, but that costs money and time. Maryland does not allow drivers to use any sort of aftermarket plate cover that obscures “any of the characters of a vehicle’s registration plate.” We’re not sure if that applies to duct tape on top of a URL.Perhaps what’s most interesting is that a spokesperson for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration told the Washington Post that “The URL is not and was never owned or maintained by the MVA.”Seems like that’s maybe something a government agency should do before printing a URL on almost a million government-issued pieces of metal that will be displayed on cars for years.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

Fitted with a 300-hp turbocharged five-cylinder engine, this is one quick Volvo wagon.A six-speed manual, all-wheel drive, and a stiffened suspension with adaptive dampers highlight the mechanical package.Rare when new and more so now, this Volvo makes an unassuming classic.Car and DriverSweden is the country that brought the world both sensible flat-pack furniture and also terrifying Viking raiding parties. Today’s pick from Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of the Hearst Autos—embodies the spirit of both. It is that tastiest of Swedish delicacies, a practical Volvo wagon with a snootful of turbocharged Ragnarok under the hood.Related StoriesVolvo started turbocharging its wagons back in the 1980s with the boxy 240. By the time this V70R rolled onto the scene, the Swedes had subtle performance down to a fine art. From the outside, this 2004 example looks reserved and handsome, devoid of the big grilles or cannon-sized tailpipes that you might find in a German performance machine.The 17-inch five-spoke wheels and some “R” badging are the wink and nod to the cognoscenti. Otherwise, it’s your typical labradoodle transportation device.Bring a TrailerBetter get that dog a racing helmet. From the factory, the V70R’s 2.5-liter inline-five was good for 300 horsepower, 295 pound-feet of torque, and a rippling snarl usually only found in Audi rallying machines. The power was fed to the ground through all four wheels, making the V70R both hugely grippy in the corners and unfazed by any inclement weather. Even better, shifting duties are handled by a six-speed manual—and check out that spaceball shifter.These days, Volvo has shifted to a kinder, greener image, with plenty of EVs in the mix. This generation of V70R hails from a time when a Volvo station wagon competing in British Touring Car racing was a fairly recent memory. It’s as quick as a BMW M or Mercedes AMG product, but without shouting about the performance.Bring a TrailerWith 139,000 miles on the odometer, this speedy Swede should still have plenty of life left. Upgrades to the brakes and a cat-back exhaust have been sourced from Volvo performance specialist IPD. There are a few cosmetic issues to be sorted out, including some repairs to the leather seats, although we dig the snappy blue interior.Then settle in, marshal your 300 horses with that six-speed manual ‘box, and ride for Valhalla (along with your dog Spot). This no-reserve auction ends June 8.Car and driverCar and driver Lettermark logoContributing 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

The Honda eGX Racing Kart is a concept for now, but its greatest appeal is that it’s powered by two 1.3-kWh batteries that last for up to 45 minutes of flat-out driving and can be replaced in under 30 seconds.The single electric motor gives the eGX kart plenty of gusto, even if the batteries contribute to a 230-pound weight that makes it a bit heftier than comparable gas karts. The batteries take around five hours to charge, but the simple swapping procedure means that the fun doesn’t have to stop when the charge is depleted.For most people, motorsports is prohibitively expensive. Even karting, the lowest rung on the ladder, is a costly exercise. But Honda’s latest experiment, the eGX Racing Kart, shows a new path that could make karting far more accessible, eliminating costly nonrenewable items and reducing overall maintenance requirements. The eGX Racing Kart is just a concept for now, but the electric vehicle’s swappable batteries hint at a new future for grassroots motorsports.The eGX kart uses Honda’s Mobile Power Pack (MPP) batteries, which are designed to be easily replaceable. Measuring 11.7 inches by 6.2 inches by 7.0 inches, the MPPs are roughly the size of a two-slice toaster and weigh 22.7 pounds. Thanks to sturdily integrated handles, transporting the battery is a breeze. The MPP is already in use in Japan, where electric-moped riders can stop at stations to quickly swap out a depleted battery for a fresh one rather than wait for their bike to charge.Caleb Miller|Car and DriverThe approximately 50-volt batteries can each store 1.3 kWh and take about five hours to recharge. In the eGX, two MPP units are wired to operate in series, resulting in a more efficient system with less energy loss compared to batteries wired in parallel. Honda says the two batteries combine to provide 35 to 45 minutes of driving at a time. If you want to stay on the track while the batteries recharge, swapping in new packs takes less than 30 seconds. Simply lift the plastic container lid, undo the locking mechanism by pulling up on the handle, and slide the battery out. The whole process is idiot-proof, with MPPs only fitting into the container one way and the locking mechanism making a audible click when the battery is correctly inserted.We sampled the eGX Racing Kart during a recent event at Detroit’s M1 Concourse. The kart itself is a pretty standard affair, using a Parolin chassis with minor changes for new mountings. The eGX measures 77.9 inches long, 53.1 inches wide, and 23.2 inches tall, sans driver of course, and weighs 230 pounds, slightly heavier than a gas-powered shifter kart. The wheelbase stretches 41.3 inches long. Power comes from a single motor mounted behind the driver’s seat, and although Honda wouldn’t disclose the output, the kart felt extremely zippy. The eGX tops out at about 45 mph, although the makeshift track we trialed them on didn’t have long enough straights to see that top speed. But the instant torque of the electric motor makes the eGX feel incredibly eager and responsive, and the surge of power doesn’t fall off as you keep the throttle pinned. Caleb Miller|Car and DriverOtherwise, the eGX feels similar to other karts, with vast amounts of grip, tremendously heavy steering, and touchy braking thanks to a single 7.6-inch rear brake rotor, which can be used to rotate the kart through corners without scrubbing too much speed. The real selling point of the eGX is its simplicity. By removing the internal-combustion engine and all of its accompanying fluids, the kart becomes virtually maintenance free. On the eGX, the only real consumable are the tires, as well as switching out the batteries after a 45 minute session. Of course, making the most of the swappable setup would require buying extra batteries. This could become a significant expense for someone who owns their own kart, although it would be a one-time cost. Honda remained tight-lipped about pricing for the battery units. Caleb Miller|Car and DriverThe bigger benefit would be for kart track owners, where the economies of scale could result in massive savings. Many locations already use electric karts that need to be parked each time they are charged, requiring a larger fleet so that there are always karts available to customers. But Honda’s setup would allow those karts to remain on track, bringing more smiles to patrons’ faces while the batteries charge on the side. Since the karts wouldn’t need to be taken out of the rotation for charging, the tracks could maintain smaller fleets. Combined with the minimal maintenance, the whole system could make rental kart businesses far more efficient.Honda isn’t officially selling the eGX just yet, but we were told that the automaker is currently evaluating the business case for putting the kart into production. We envision the simplicity of the eGX’s battery swapping inspiring a new generation of racing drivers, and we hope that Honda can figure out how to make the eGX work financially. As the iconic Field of Dreams line goes, “If you build it, they will come.”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