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• Please don protective eyewear before viewing this Alfa Romeo, an avant-garde roadster with out-of-this-world wedgy styling.• The RZ roadster and related SZ coupe were supposed to galvanize Alfa Romeo styling in a new direction. • The auction runs through April 24.Car and DriverHistorically speaking, Italian coachbuilders have created some of the most beautiful machines to ever roll into a concours d’elegance. Zagato, founded more than a century ago, is among the best of them, and when its signature Z is paired with an Alfa Romeo, the result is always stunning. In this case, stunning can be read in a literal sense, like having an anvil fall on your head.Related StoriesToday’s pick from the auction site Bring A Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—is an Italian wedge of formaggio that is definitely not going to be to everyone’s taste. In fact, more than a few readers have probably already scrolled directly to the comment section to voice disbelief and/or complaint. What is this crazy thing? Answer: a 1993 Alfa-Romeo RZ, the “RZ” standing for Roadster Zagato.Dubbed Il Mostro—the Monster—on its debut in 1989, the Alfa Romeo SZ was intended to shatter preconceptions and set Alfa design on a new path. The SZ (for Sport Zagato, the hardtop released before this rarer roadster version) was certainly uncomfortably electrifying. Utilizing computer-aided design rather than the hand sketches of some Italian artisan, its snub-nosed styling was finished in-house by Alfa’s then-parent company Fiat, with assembly farmed out to Zagato.Bring a TrailerIn fact, the SZ/RZ’s design is French in origin. The original concept was styled by Frenchman Robert Opron, who is also credited with Citroën’s SM, GS, and SX. This roadster is number 184 of just 284 built, a total that is about a quarter of SZ production. Build quality is—well, it’s a boutique car assembled in Italy during the 1990s. The indifference to precision can be neatly summed up by the slightly crooked angle of the limited-series metal plate below the gearshift.But in terms of personality, the RZ has about as much as you can handle. Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerIf you can embrace or at least get past the styling, then it’s a proper rear-wheel-drive Alfa, the quickest of them in its day. Under the clamshell hood is a 3.0-liter Busso 12-valve V-6, feeding a little over 200 horsepower to a rear-mounted five-speed manual transaxle. The RZ is a hair slower to 60 mph than the SZ, but both are lively and quick. The V-6 raises its voice in a gloriously mechanical crescendo, better heard with the roof down. This is Italian motoring con brio.Slightly fewer than half of total RZ production went to Japan, because of course it did. The RZ is exactly the sort of car to appeal in the country that produced the Mitsuoka Orochi. This example was brought back across the Pacific in 2010 and was purchased by the current owner (a serial Alfa owner) sometime last year. The timing belt and clutch and associated service were performed about ten years ago.Bring a TrailerAs a conversation starter at any car meet, this giallo ginestra wedge is sure to be polarizing. Bystanders are going to Have Opinions, and some of those opinions are not going to be very flattering.But so be it. The RZ is incomprehensible madness with a lusty Alfa Romeo V-6. It’s the antidote to automotive boredom.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 Land Rover brand isn’t dead, despite reports that misinterpreted the British automaker’s new branding strategy.In a statement to Car and Driver, Jaguar Land Rover (now JLR) confirmed the Land Rover name will carry on. JLR yesterday announced plans to divide the Defender, Discovery, Range Rover, and Jaguar brands into four subbrands.Reports circulating online about Land Rover’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. After news surfaced earlier today that the storied brand was dead, Car and Driver reached out directly to Jaguar Land Rover (now officially called JLR), who confirmed the beloved Land Rover name will live on.”We are not losing the Land Rover name; its spirit is—and will continue to be—a crucial part of our DNA,” the company said in a written statement.With JLR yesterday announcing a new branding strategy, it appears the fake news resulted from misinterpreted details. Those include the company’s plans to bring the Defender and Discovery nameplates to the forefront. Range Rover and Jaguar are also included in this four-pronged approach, which is part of what JLR is calling its “House of Brands” strategy. The goal of this initiative is said to help make each brand more distinctive. So don’t expect to see any more models using the clunky Land Rover Range Rover nomenclature.JLR’s New FutureThe British automaker’s rebranding is also part of a larger plan that includes making its Halewood plant in the U.K. an all-electric production factory as well as introducing its new medium-sized EV SUV platform, which will be based on the company’s Electrified Modular Platform (EMA). JLR says later this year it will start accepting pre-orders for the upcoming electric Range Rover, which is slated to launch in 2025. Alongside its new EVs, JLR will continue to offer gas-burning and hybrid models.Finally, Jaguar will add three new models, the first of which will be an electric four-door grand-tourer built on a bespoke platform dubbed JEA. This future GT is touted as being more powerful than any Jaguar before. It’s also claimed to offer up to 430 miles of driving range and cost roughly $124,000.More on JLRThis 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.Senior 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 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

Mercedes-Benz has now built 500,000 G-wagens in 44 years, and it celebrates the occasion with a retro-themed one-off.The one-of-a-kind G-class features a vintage look inspired by the 1986 280GE model.Along with Agave Green paint, the boxy SUV has amber turn signals, enlarged badges, a roof rack, and throwback interior details.Forty-four years after the first Mercedes-Benz G-class rolled off the assembly line in Graz, Austria, the 500,000th example does the same in memorable fashion. To commemorate hitting the half-million mark, Mercedes has transformed the milestone model into a one-of-a-kind G-wagen with a vintage look.The German automaker obviously has a long history of Geländewagens it could have used for the inspiration behind this retro-themed one-off. In the end, the company selected the 1986 280GE. While it’s unclear why exactly Mercedes chose that model, the 280GE featured the top gas-burning powertrain during the W460 generation (1980—1991). Its modern counterpart also wears Agave Green paint (one of the first colors available on early versions) and sees its clear turn signals on top of the fenders revert back to their classic amber color.Mercedes-BenzAlong with the throwback paint job, the half-millionth G-class has a black front fascia with guards protecting its round headlights. The black treatment extends to its fender flares and traces the lower body molding to the rear bumper. Out back, there’s a spare-tire carrier with an enlarged version of the brand’s three-point star logo. There’s also a rear-mounted ladder to provide easier access to the roof rack. A set of silver five-spoke wheels round out the one-off’s most notable details.Mercedes didn’t provide any interior images of the special G, but the company says the seat inserts feature fabric with a checkered pattern reminiscent of past models. There’s also said to be Agave Green lettering on the passenger-side grab handle that reads “No. 500,000.”A refreshed version of the Mercedes-Benz G-class sounds like it’s in the works for the 2024 model year. Of course, there’s also an all-electric variant coming. We’ve only seen the EQG concept, but Mercedes has said the production version won’t be dramatically different. Either way, if the company ever makes it to 1 million G-wagens, the majority of the next 500,000 models will likely be electric.G-Wagen: Past, Present, and FutureThis 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.Senior 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 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