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The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) announced Friday it is retiring the number 43 from the World Rally Championship in 2023 as a tribute to Ken Block, who was killed in a snowmobiling accident on Monday. Block used #43 throughout his racing career, which spanned the WRC, rallycross events, and stage rally in America. The Hoonigan co-founder also wore the number in his numerous Gymkhana appearances. The Legend”Given the enormous contribution our great friend Ken Block made to motorsport and the fact that he was held in such high regard by people the world over, it is entirely appropriate that his #43 will be withdrawn from use during the 2023 WRC season,” FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said in a statement. Block’s death has prompted a huge outpouring of emotion from the car community, with several big-name figures speaking out on what he meant to the world of motorsports, entertainment, and beyond. “While it’s a small gesture, we hope that it is one that will bring some comfort to his family and friends at this time,” Sulayem added. “Ken was a true legend and the memory of this true legend will live with us forever.”This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

The Tesla Model S and Model X are once again available with a regular steering wheel.A yoke is still offered, but a steering wheel (pictured above)—now with capacitive buttons versus stalks—returns as a no-cost option. Already yoked Model S or X EVs can have a steering wheel retrofitted for $700, but the Tesla service isn’t available until March.The tried-and-true steering wheel returns to the Tesla Model S and Model X. While the steering yoke that has been mandatory since the cars’ 2021 redesign is still offered, people who order a new S or X can once again drive with a normal wheel at no extra cost.Unlike before, the new steering wheel in the Model S and Model X doesn’t have stalks that control the blinkers, windshield wipers, or gear selection. Instead, all of those functions are now handled through capacitive buttons and controller balls, just like those found on the yoke.One of these is not like the other.TeslaTeslaWhat about all the folks who bought a Tesla Model S or X with the yoke-style setup and are unhappy with it? Well, Tesla is letting those customers swap it out for a real wheel with a retrofit option through its online store. It won’t be available until March, and it costs $700, which is said to include installation through Tesla service.The return of a regular steering wheel to the Model S and Model X represents a symbolic U-turn by Tesla—and, more specifically, by CEO Elon Musk. Back in 2021, in the months after the company stirred up controversy by only offering both models with a yoke, Musk tweeted that there was no chance a traditional steering wheel would return, even as an option. The irony is that eggs have a yoke, and Musk may have a little on his face.Tesla In the NewsWhile Tesla’s yoke-style tiller has its fair share of detractors (including us), it’s still better than a steering wheel that flies off in your hand while you’re driving. 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.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. More

A new set of data shows what we’ve been seeing over several months: monthly payments on new-car loans are hitting and exceeding four figures at a distressingly high rate.One reason is rising interest rates, which in turn are affected by supply-chain issues and inflation.Another reason: a growing number of customers tend to owe more on the vehicle they’re trading in than it’s worth, tempting them to roll the negative equity into the next purchase.The share of new-car loans with a monthly payment above $1000 hit a record high last year, new data from Edmunds shows. The company says 15.7 percent of buyers who financed a new car in the fourth quarter of 2022 signed on for four-figure monthly payments.That’s up from 10.5 percent in 2021, a nearly 50 percent increase in the overall share. Supply constraints and inflation put upward pressure on prices, while that same inflationary crisis led to much higher interest rates. Consumers attempted to account for rising prices by spending more money upfront, bringing the average down payment up to $6780. Markups—which usually cannot be financed as easily as money toward a vehicle’s MSRP—likely contributed to that rising average down payment. How to Pick OneBeing Upside Down Makes It WorseEdmunds also sees rising car payments and an inflated market as a potentially dangerous combination. In the fourth quarter of 2022, 17.4 percent of new car purchases with a trade-in had negative equity rolled into the new loan. That means they still owed more than the car they traded in was worth, forcing them to roll the owed money into the new purchase. In the event of a market collapse, if a higher percentage of owners owe more than their vehicles are worth, that could at worst, cause a crisis. At best, the market would likely see a slowdown in new-car purchases. “Vehicle equity is really a tale of two gears for consumers over the past few years,” said Ivan Drury, Edmunds director of insights. “At the onset of the pandemic, consumers benefited from low-interest rates and elevated trade-in values, helping shield even the more questionable financing decisions from resulting in negative equity. This unique confluence of market forces resulted in some vehicle owners being able to take advantage of positive equity on their loans and even their leases. But as we shifted toward an environment with diminished used-car values and rising interest rates over the past few months, consumers have become less insulated from those riskier loan decisions, and we are only seeing the tip of the negative-equity iceberg.”This content is imported from OpenWeb. 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. More

VinFast, a Vietnamese startup automaker, announced it will start taking orders for its VF6 and VF7 electric SUVs starting in March. The company had previously announced it would start delivering its larger VF8 to the U.S., but customers have not received them as of the beginning of January.The subcompact VF6 is expected to have a WLTP range of up to 248 miles, which could translate to a 200-mile EPA rating.The compact VF7’s WLTP range is estimated to top out at 280 miles, or as much as 224 EPA-rated miles.Following up on the reveal of the VF6 and VF7 electric SUVs at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show, Vietnamese automaker VinFast said it will open the reservation process for these two models in March. Speaking at the 2022 CES show in Las Vegas, VinFast CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said that deliveries are expected to begin at the end of the year and into early 2024. More Details and SpecsVinFast also updated the specifications for each SUV with an estimated range. The 174-horsepower Eco version of the subcompact VF6 is expected to go 248 miles on the WLTP test cycle, while the 201-hp Plus trim is slightly lower at 237 miles. As a rough estimate, that converts to somewhere between 190 and 200 miles on the EPA test cycle, but the final numbers might be lower. The VF8 goes 293 miles on the same test but will initially have an EPA-rated estimated range of 179 miles. A VinFast representative claimed that the VF8’s range is expected to increase following an upcoming over-the-air update, and the official rating will be revised after recertification. VinFast had promised delivery in late 2022 to U.S. customers but most recently has said its first customers in California will start receiving this model this month,The compact VF7 is targeted to go 280 miles on the WLTP test in 201-hp Eco trim, and the 348-hp, two-motor AWD Plus version will go 268 miles. That translates to somewhere between 170 and 224 miles of EPA-rated maximum range. The company did not mention the overall battery capacity for the VF6 or VF7.How Much?Pricing for both models will be announced sometime in the next month or so. The VF6 is estimated to start around $30,000, while the VF7’s estimated base price is under $40,000. Reserving the VF8 and VF9 requires a $200 deposit on the VinFast website, so customers should be able to claim a place in line for the same amount when the VF6 and VF7 reservation system opens.Also speaking at VinFast’s CES press conference, Gareth Dunsmore, Deputy CEO for sales and marketing, said that the first reservation holders for the VF6 and VF7 will have “additional rewards with meaningful benefit” with details to follow. The “VinFirst” program for the VF8 and VF9 included an NFT allowing special access to the Vingroup Metaverse, along with discounts of $3000 and $5000, respectively. VinFast had initially promised U.S. deliveries of its larger VF8 before the end of 2022, and while a ship carrying the electric crossovers arrived in the United States in late December, those planned deliveries did not happen before the new 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.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. More