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The Nissan Z GT4 race car was first shown in September, but today made its formal debut at the 2022 SEMA show. Nissan revealed that it has a roughly $230k price tag, and we learned the Z GT4 has 450 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque.Pilot customer teams will compete in next year’s SRO Pirelli GT4 America series, but Nissan says orders won’t open until mid-2023. If you’re like us and aren’t entirely satisfied with the performance of the new Nissan Z, a factory-backed GT4 race car version is coming to a paddock near you. Nissan first revealed the upcoming Z GT4 back in September, but today the NISMO-tuned machine made its public debut at the 2022 SEMA show, and we also learned details about its specs and pricing.NissanNISMO UpgradesDeveloped by Nissan’s NISMO motorsports division, the GT4 car features the same basic twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 as the regular Z. However, it has been modified to make 450 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque—notable increases of 50 horses and 93 pound-feet. The GT4-spec Z also has a chassis that’s specifically tuned for competition. Along with a big rear wing and other aerodynamic addenda, it has Brembo brakes and sticky race-compound tires mounted on 18-inch Rays rims (10.5 inches wide up front, 11 inches wide out back).NissanNissanBack in June of this year, a Z GT4 concept participated in the 24 Hours of Fuji as a test entry. Next year, Nissan says it will provide cars to pilot customer teams for the 2023 season, which in the U.S. will include the SRO Pirelli GT4 America series. The company is doing the same in Japan with Super Taikyu racing. Looks Racy, Costs a LotThe Nissan Z GT4 at the SEMA show has a red and black livery that mixes modern style and retro cues. In addition to the regular Z car’s updated logo on the rear quarter panel, the number 23 in the “rising sun” circle on the hood is said to be a callback to Nissan’s racing liveries in the ’70s.NissanInside, the Z GT4 has been stripped of its carpeting as well as its standard digital gauge cluster and center touchscreen. A roll cage has also been installed along with a racing seat for the driver, who grips a microsuede flat-bottomed steering wheel outfitted with switchgear and paddle shifters. Other control toggles and adjustable settings for the ABS are located on the center console where the gear lever traditionally is.New Z: Tested and ComparedNissan says the Z GT4 will cost $229,000, but that doesn’t include the mandatory destination charge, which we expect to be at least $1000. Of course, racing is an expensive endeavor (even for amateurs), so the price of owning and actually tracking the Nissan Z GT4 will require deep pockets when orders open in mid-2023. For those who can afford it, the GT4 version should be a lot more satisfying than the standard-issue Z, at least at the track.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

This 2017 Honda Ridgeline donor truck, shown at SEMA this week, started its life as a test mule for the Honda Performance Development (HPD) team before the Hoonigan team got their hands on it. The 2.2-liter engine is a twin-turbocharged V-6 built for a 2022 IndyCar and is capable of 700–900 horsepower at 12,000 rpm. The IndyTruck utilizes 2021 Acura NSX hubs, suspension arms, and carbon-ceramic brakes along with a custom inboard suspension and subframe built in-house at Hoonigan. One week after Ken Block and the team at Hoonigan released their Electrikhana video showing Block churning through tires on the Las Vegas Strip, they are back in Vegas, at the SEMA show, with something new. That something new is a heavily modified 2017 Honda Ridgeline truck with a 2022 IndyCar engine swapped in. It’s an aluminum 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine that, when revved up to its 12,000-rpm redline, produces 700 to 900 horsepower, according to the Hoonigan team.Jack Fitzgerald|Car and DriverHoonigan joined forces with Honda Performance Development for the truck, with the stated goal of building a truck able to take on anything from local road courses to hill-climbs. The bodywork for the truck is a completely custom, one-off design built from carbon fiber and fiberglass. Seen head on, the IndyTruck could almost pass for a normal Ridgeline if it weren’t for that massive front splitter. A closer look makes it clear just how bonkers this build is. Its engine is open to the elements, nestled under a towering three-level rear wing complete with side blades that house the truck’s taillights. How very different, in sum, from the Ridgeline you saw driving to the grocery store yesterday. Jack Fitzgerald|Car and DriverThe prized jewel of the project is of course, the engine. Mounted in a mid-engine orientation, the twin-turbocharged V-6 fills the space previously taken up by the truck bed. The open-air placement would make it easier to hear the engine belt out its glorious song, and our only complaint is that we didn’t get a chance to hear this thing turn over. Jack Fitzgerald|Car and DriverThe interior of the truck was completely stripped out and a custom dash was added. Hoonigan replaced the standard Ridgeline seats with a pair of carbon Recaro racing seats with Willans harnesses attached to the roll cage. The truck wears a set of 20-inch Rotiform LTN forged wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero rubber. 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 from SEMA 2022This 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

Borla was first approached for a high-performance aftermarket sound by Shelby American for use on its amped-up Mustang Mach-E models. The system includes a speaker, wiring, a computer/controller, and an app that can be used to choose or customize the “exhaust” tone. Currently Borla offers several combustion-engine tunes but says it’s working on all-new soundtracks just for electric cars. Initially, we walked by the Mustang Mach-E parked in the Borla Exhaust booth at the 2022 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show and thought somebody had goofed in their display-car choice. Borla is well known as an aftermarket exhaust company with offerings for modern domestic and import cars, as well as a few side-by-sides, but what is an EV like the Mach-E going to do with a stainless three-inch cat-back system? Wanted: A More Aggressive Sound”We had customers coming to us, particularly with the Mach-E, and asking for more aggressive sound,” said VP of sales and marketing, David Borla, who either has a coincidentally appropriate last name or a running stake in the success of the company. The first of those customers was Shelby American, which was adding a customized Mach-E to its fleet of heritage and modern Ford offerings and wanted to set its cars apart from mild stock-Es. Elana Scherr|Car and Driver”Shelby said, ‘Help us out, we need to add some sound to these,'” says Borla. “When you lose sound, you lose vibrations, it’s a different experience.” As he spoke, he revved up the Mach-E on the show floor, turning heads and causing confusion. This content is imported from Tiktok. 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 Fun with EVsThe Borla kit is a speaker set, amplifier, wiring harness, digital processor (which acts as a computer, connected to the vehicle CANbus data to sync the pedal to the sound), and an app that can control or change the tone. “It’s very customizable,” says Borla, adding that an install takes about the same time as a traditional ICE bolt-on. Mach-E owners can be terrorizing their neighborhoods in just about an hour. Elana Scherr|Car and DriverCurrently the system is offered with three programmed options: a GT500, a Camaro, and a C8 Corvette. That will absolutely baffle folks in the parking garage. When asked why an EV needs to sound like an existing engine, Borla said this is just the beginning of what’s possible. “We’re working with a synthesizer company right now to come up with notes that have nothing to do with internal combustion,” he said. Elana Scherr|Car and Driver”This is our Blockbuster vs. Netflix moment,” he added, fully aware that the idea of an EV sound system might have people on both sides of electric-car adoption scratching their heads. “Who knows what it should be? It’s all new; the future is evolving. For us, the mission is the same—make cars sound good. If you don’t like it, you can always turn it off.”This content is imported from Tiktok. 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 Tiktok. 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

Honda isn’t quite ready to give up on stick shifts for good, but the company is realistic about how the dawning EV era likely spells the end of the manual transmission as we know it. During a roundtable interview with Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe and head of electrification Shinji Aoyama, both executives expressed doubt to C/D that Honda would pursue any sort of simulated or artificial manual transmissions for its upcoming EVs, not even for the electric sports cars that are part of its already confirmed future lineup.”Artificially, we can do it. Mechanically, it is not easy,” said Aoyama, referring to the idea of a simulated manual as “like an extension of active sound control.” He personally does not like the idea of an artificial solution like this and said that Honda would pursue other ways of making its EVs fun to drive. Both executives said they see battery technology, as well as the packaging, programming, and overall engineering of electric motors and direct-drive units, as important differentiating factors for electric vehicles and how they feel on the road. Mibe said that it’s important for Honda’s EVs to be “edgy” and distinct from competitors in terms of the driving experience, but added, “I’m not sure if we can replace the manual transmission.” HondaThis stance is in direct contrast to Toyota’s outlook, as Honda’s chief rival is seemingly embracing the idea of a manual-transmission alternative. It recently patented a system for EVs that includes a clutch, a gear shifter, and “virtual” gear ratios, and Lexus president Koji Sato also expressed a desire for the brand’s upcoming EV supercar to have some sort of simulated manual. Even prior to this, Toyota’s GR HV Sports concept car from 2017 also incorporated a sort of simulated manual: Its hybrid powertrain used an automatic gearbox but featured a shift lever meant to mimic a six-speed manual transmission’s H-pattern gate.More on Manual TransmissionsEven if Honda doesn’t plan to adopt similar solutions, fans of the clutch pedal need not panic that Honda’s transition to an all-EV lineup will wipe out the stick shifts overnight. The company plans to phase in electric vehicles—including hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles—in stages. It aims for EVs to make up 40 percent of sales by 2030, 80 percent by 2035, and 100 percent by 2040. In the meantime, a few different manual-transmission vehicles remain in Honda and Acura’s U.S. lineups. Multiple versions of the Civic—the base hatchback, the Civic Si, and the Civic Type R—plus the Acura Integra offer six-speed manuals, and these don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.HondaHondaAs EVs do eventually take over at Honda, the company assures us that there will continue to be vehicles with enthusiast appeal. Honda has promised two electric sports cars, one described as a “flagship” and the other as a “specialty” model. Teaser images show that both have low-slung proportions, and the flagship model would likely serve as the Acura NSX’s replacement. We look forward to seeing how Honda can win us over with this new generation of performance vehicles—even if they won’t have manual transmissions or any approximation of one.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

Porsche is adding a new appearance package to the 718 Boxster and Cayman called the Style Edition.It adds color-coordinated exterior elements and a few interior extras.We don’t have a final cost for the package, but it will be available to U.S. customers starting in 2023.Porsche’s long list of individual options offers all sorts of ways to customize the look of your car, but certain styling packages like the new Style Edition versions of the 2023 718 Boxster and Cayman are like a shortcut. With a specially selected set of visual upgrades, these packages tie things together nicely, especially when combined with an eye-catching new exterior color like the Ruby Star Neo paint seen here on the Boxster.PorscheThe standard version of the Style Edition features black 20-inch wheels from the Boxster Spyder with colored center crests, black sport tailpipes. Inside, it adds a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, floor mats with Chalk stitching, Porsche crests embossed on the headrests, and illuminated side sills. If you pay a bit more, you can also add black or white hood stripes and side graphics that match with either black or white wheels.More on the 718sPorsche has yet to reveal U.S. pricing for these packages, but we reckon they will cost a few thousand dollars extra on top of base prices of $64,850 for the Cayman and $66,950 for the Boxster. They will be available for the base Boxster and Cayman, which come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four with 300 horsepower and either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. They’ll be available to order sometime in early 2023, and will arrive at U.S. dealerships later in the year.PorschePorscheThis 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

Porsche is adding a new appearance package to the 718 Boxster and Cayman called the Style Edition.It adds color-coordinated exterior elements and a few interior extras.We don’t have a final cost for the package, but it will be available to U.S. customers starting in 2023.CLARIFICATION 11/2/22: Porsche confirmed that the 718 Boxster and Cayman Style Editions will be coming to the U.S. for the 2024 model year.Porsche’s long list of individual options offers all sorts of ways to customize the look of your car, but certain styling packages like the new Style Edition versions of the 2024 718 Boxster and Cayman are like a shortcut. With a specially selected set of visual upgrades, these packages tie things together nicely, especially when combined with an eye-catching new exterior color like the Ruby Star Neo paint seen here on the Boxster.PorscheThe standard version of the Style Edition features black 20-inch wheels from the Boxster Spyder with colored center crests and black sport tailpipes. Inside, it adds a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, floor mats with Chalk stitching, Porsche crests embossed on the headrests, and illuminated side sills. If you pay a bit more, you can also add black or white hood stripes and side graphics that match with either black or white wheels.More on the 718sPorsche has yet to reveal U.S. pricing for these packages, but we reckon they will cost a few thousand dollars extra on top of base prices of $64,850 for the Cayman and $66,950 for the Boxster. They will be available for the base Boxster and Cayman, which come with a turbocharged 2.0-liter flat-four with 300 horsepower and either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. They’ll be available to order sometime in early 2023 and arrive at U.S. dealerships later in the year.PorschePorscheThis 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