News

Slated to make its official debut on May 31, the new VW Golf R 333 brings unique gold paint and some performance adjustments to the all-wheel drive hot hatch. The short teaser doesn’t feature a ton of specifics, but it does give us a good look at some of the adjustments VW made. The gold paint is the most obvious addition, looking far more sophisticated than the select hues on offer for Golf R buyers. A bespoke graphics package also runs along the bottom of the doors, matching the black mirror caps on either flank. We can also see a set of the brand’s 19-inch Estoril wheels, behind which sit a set of blue brake calipers. VW has also fitted the Golf R 333 Limited Edition models with an Akrapovič exhaust system, complete with four tips in a bright finish. That’ll surely make it sound great.This content is imported from youTube. 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.While that’s about all that VW has confirmed so far, there are further hints as to what we can expect in its name. Last year, VW released a few different takes on a Golf R 20 Years special edition model for its various global markets. In Europe, that anniversary model came equipped with a variant of the 2.0-liter turbo-four making 328 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. If you measure that output in German Pferdestärke, that figure jumps to a round 333 PS. It is then not unlikely to assume a similarly trimmed engine will find its way to the Golf R 333. That will also make the Golf R 333 tied for the title of most powerful Golf model yet. Details, Specs, ResultsWe expect that high-output engine to come mated to either a six-speed manual or VW’s dual-clutch automatic, but VW could also limit the package to one gearbox. Similarly equipped 20 Years models are capable of reaching 62 mph in 4.6 seconds. VOLKSWAGENWhether or not VW decides to bring the Golf R 333 to the U.S. or not, here’s hoping we don’t get another watered down take like with the 20 Years models. With VW rumored to ditch the ICE-powered Golf altogether after the eighth generation, this might represent one of out last chances at a proper limited-edition hot hatch. VOLKSWAGENBorn and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.  More

This content is imported from youTube. 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.EA Sports and Codemasters have released video of the new F1 23 video game. F1 23 will come to Sony PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC on June 16. The Las Vegas Grand Prix, a returned physics engine, 35 percent race length, red flags, and the return of Braking Point career mode are all new for F1 23.EA Sports knows what you did last summer. If you’re an avid Formula 1 fan, they know you stayed up late to watch Max Verstappen win under the lights at Saudi Arabia. They know you canceled your Netflix subscription after bingeing an entire season of Formula 1: Drive to Survive in a single weekend. And they also know you want to see this just-released reveal trailer for this year’s new F1 23 video game, coming to Sony PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC, hoping you’ll give it a try this summer on June 16.All Things F1 and RacingF1 23 puts gamers in the seat of their favorite F1 team again this year, but this time, the game’s physics engine has been tuned with the help of the people it portrays, as if someone from Red Bull stuck a hard drive in the wind tunnel. EA Sports says the racing feels more real than ever, emphasizing engine torque, inertia, and more realistic tire grip that should have folks white-knuckling their wireless controllers or racing wheels. This year, a new Precision Drive controller technology arrives to help players use sticks and buttons instead of wheels and pedals to put up a stronger fight across the virtual curbing.After a grandstand of feedback from its players, the new F1 23 is also making some specific changes to how it delivers the drama of simulating the latest Formula 1 season. F1 2021’s Braking Point career story mode is back. A new 35 percent race distance creates a race that’s neither too short or real-time. There are even red flags now, which could make for some interesting strategic headaches, similar to the ones that plagued team principals in actual F1 races.Electronic ArtsNew additions to the 2023 F1 racing schedule are reflected in its video game. November’s Las Vegas Grand Prix is coming to F1 23, as well as Lusail International Circuit and three legacy circuits, France’s Paul Ricard, China’s Shanghai, and Portugal’s Portimão. A new progression system also gives players a chance at unlocking car upgrades, fancy liveries, and new helmets and racing suites by completing challenges. There’s a new safety rating for drivers, online multiplayer, and single player, in hopes of corraling a more serious field of racers to minimize lobbies with the infamous Turn 1 wrecking ball.F1 23 is available for pre-order today on PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Epic Games Store, and Steam. The digital-exclusive F1 23 Champions Edition comes with Las Vegas content (must preorder by May 31), Max Verstappen Race Wear Pack, Braking Point 2 Icons and Vanity Item Pack, Dual Entitlement (available on PlayStation 4 and 5 and Xbox Series X and S only), four new My Team Icons, an XP Boost, F1 World Bumper Pack, and 18,000 PitCoin, as well as early access to the game three days ahead of launch. The World Starter Pack and 5000 PitCoins accompany pre-order sales of the standard-edition F1 23 game. EA Sports has been serving up virtual F1 racing since new games were available on the Game Boy Color back in 2000. Now, 23 years later, they’re here to help celebrate the revival in popularity of F1 racing in the United States. 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 EditorYes, he’s still working on the 1986 Nissan 300ZX Turbo project car he started in high school, and no, it’s not for sale yet. Austin Irwin was born and raised in Michigan, and, despite getting shelled by hockey pucks during a not-so-successful goaltending career through high school and college, still has all of his teeth. He loves cars from the 1980s and Bleu, his Great Pyrenees, and is an active member of the Buffalo Wild Wings community. When Austin isn’t working on his own cars, he’s likely on the side of the highway helping someone else fix theirs. More

Volvo is reconfiguring the C40 and XC40 Recharge’s electric powertrain for 2024.A new 248-hp rear-wheel-drive base model offers considerably more range and should cost less too.Range increases to 293–297 miles for the single-motor version, while the dual-motor AWD model gets a range boost to 254–257 miles.Volvo is expanding and improving its EV lineup for 2024 with some notable changes to the C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge models. They both gain a new rear-wheel-drive single-motor version with a larger battery and considerably more range, while the existing dual-motor all-wheel-drive variants also boost range thanks to efficiency improvements.The new RWD cars have a 248-hp electric motor and battery with 79.0-kWh usable capacity, which enables a 297-mile range in the C40 Recharge and a slightly lower 293-mile range in the less aerodynamic XC40 Recharge. These models are also capable of a higher DC fast-charging rate of 200 kilowatts, which Volvo claims enables it to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 28 minutes.More on Volvo EVsThe dual-motor configuration continues into 2024 as well and continues to make 402 horsepower like before. But Volvo says that the electric motors are different, with the rear motor now making 255 horsepower and the front motor now an asynchronous type that is able to disconnect when it’s not needed. These efficiency improvements, also helped by new 19-inch wheels that are more aerodynamic, mean that the AWD models’ 75.0-kWh battery provides considerably more range. The XC40 is now rated at 254 miles, 31 miles more than before, while the C40 goes from 226 miles up to 257 miles.Volvo hasn’t released pricing yet, but we expect the RWD versions to cost less than the outgoing 2023 C40 and XC40 Recharge, which were offered only with a dual-motor powertrain and started in the mid-$50,000 range. Volvo says these updated 2024 EVs will go on sale in the United States in the second half of this year.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.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

From the May 2023 issue of Car and Driver.WHAT IT IS The Korean luxury arm’s third electrified SUV will be its biggest and poshest yet and build on the flagship G90 sedan’s striking design.WHY IT MATTERSThe gasoline-powered G90 isn’t exactly a volume model—or even well known, for that matter. The GV90 is a luxury SUV, which means it’ll probably sell well.PLATFORMThis luxury liner will be underpinned by the E-GMP architecture shared throughout the Korean automaker’s most recent electrified efforts. We expect air springs and electronically controlled dampers to enhance the cabin’s tranquility.POWERTRAINDon’t expect any groundbreaking electrification technology here. The GV90 is likely to use the same motors that propel the Electrified GV70, one on each axle, for a maximum combined output approaching 500 horsepower. Expect the GV90 to use the 87.2-kWh battery from the Electrified G80, which could offer around 250 miles of range. Top-trim GV90s may pack a larger battery.COMPETITIONBMW iX, Lucid Gravity, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Rivian R1S, Tesla Model X.WHAT MIGHT GO WRONGAfter nearly a decade since Hyundai established the luxury brand, people still ask, “What’s a Genesis?”ESTIMATED ARRIVAL AND PRICEThe GV90 should hit the streets in the middle of 2024 with a starting price around $100,000.Senior Testing EditorDavid Beard studies and reviews automotive related things and pushes fossil-fuel and electric-powered stuff to their limits. His passion for the Ford Pinto began at his conception, which took place in a Pinto. More