News

• The 2017 Mercedes-Benz G550 4×4² that’s currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer is a surefire way to attract everyone’s attention.• Compared with the regular G550, the 4×4² is almost a foot higher, more than nine inches wider, and fitted with 36.1-inch-tall off-road tires.• We previously tested a 2017 G550 4×4² and marveled at its 6.1-second 60-mph time as well as its obvious awesomeness.There are plenty of ways to attract attention. Attending a wedding dressed in a Smurf costume or loudly singing Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” in a Waffle House should do the trick. But maybe you want the good kind of attention. For exhibitionists with deep pockets, there’s another, more expensive way to ensure all eyes are on you. It’s the brightly colored 2017 Mercedes-Benz G550 4×4² that’s currently listed on the Bring a Trailer auction site, which—like Car and Driver—is part of Hearst Autos.Bring a TrailerA G That Screams, “Look at Me!”It’s not just the eye-popping Electric Beam paint that makes this G550 4×4² stand out, although the highlighter-like hue definitely plays a role. No, to be clear, the gigantic G-wagen could be grayish-brown and still make passersby take notice. That’s because not only does it have the body of Mercedes’s iconic G-class, but also because it stands almost a foot higher than the regular G550 and measures more than nine inches wider. The 4×4² also rolls on 36.1-inch-tall Pirelli Scorpion ATR off-road tires. Less obvious, albeit no less important, are its portal axles that contribute to the lifted G’s towering 17.9 inches of ground clearance.Bring a TrailerBring a TrailerThat’s Right, We Tested OneWhen it was first released, we tested a 2017 G550 4×4². It hit 60 mph in an impressive 6.1 seconds—impressive because it was only four-tenths behind the regular G550, which shares the same 416-hp twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8. Of course, the jacked-up version’s side-exit exhaust provided extra theater. The one listed on BaT features an aftermarket Brabus exhaust system that dumps out below the truck.View PhotosThrowback to that time we thrashed one.Michael Simari|Car and DriverOur trip down memory lane reminded us that the G550 4×4² is a bit of a handful to drive, which is to be expected by a three-plus-ton machine that’s seven feet, four inches tall. Its steering is sloppy, its body control is floppy, and when we stood on the brake pedal at 70 mph it took 196 feet to come to a stop. Meanwhile, daily tasks such as navigating fast-food drive-throughs and interacting with ATMs require careful planning. Getting in and out of the skyscraper-esque SUV is also a production. Still, it’s all worth it because there’s truly nothing else like the 4×4² on the road—or off it, for that matter. Peep inside the BeastPerhaps our least favorite part of the 2017 Mercedes-Benz G550 4×4² is that it’s the old generation. That means it’s missing all the updated tech and features found in 2019 and newer models. This one that’s up for auction has the outdated infotainment system, the ugly center stack with more buttons than a QWERTY keyboard, and the lack of a few niceties that make the current G-class more livable. At least the materials remain top-notch, with leather covering myriad surfaces and the seats all sporting quilted microsuede sections that carry over to the door panels.Bring a TrailerThe G550 4×4² on the BaT website currently has a bid of $150,000. That’s about $75,000 less than the 2017 model’s $225,995 base price, but we’ll have to see how much higher the bids climb by the time the auction ends on Thursday, November 10.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

The Volkswagen ID.4 is VW’s take on a modern electric crossover for the people. Featuring nearly identical proportions to its twin, the Audi Q4 e-tron is the slightly preppier and more expensive of the pairing. With our recent review of the Q4 e-tron and a brief drive in a prototype of the 58.0-kWh-equipped ID.4 fresh in our minds, now seemed as good a time as any to go over the differences in each car. Here’s how they compare.Motor Configurations and Power FiguresBoth the ID.4 and the Q4 e-tron come in two available power levels. At the base level, both are available in a rear-drive configuration, equipped with a single rear-mounted motor providing a meager 201 horsepower. Optionally, both models can also be had with dual motors, bringing the added benefit of all-wheel drive and bumping power output to 295 horsepower. In our testing of both the single-motor and dual-motor ID.4 setups, neither produced particularly exciting performance. The rear-motor ID.4 reached 60 mph in 7.6 seconds, while the dual-motor version achieved the same in 5.4 seconds. We haven’t had the chance to do a full instrumented test of the Q4 e-tron yet, but we expect similar 60-mph times. Michael Simari|Car and DriverAudiBattery Size and RangeVolkswagen offers a choice of two battery sizes to Audi’s one and delivers slightly more range. For 2023, VW is adding an additional cheaper option, a 58.0-kWh battery pack good for an EPA-estimated 209 miles of range. The ID.4 has an optional, more expensive 77.0-kWh battery, which offers an EPA-estimated 275 miles in rear-drive models, and 250 miles in AWD versions. Our 75-mph test of a rear-wheel-drive 2021 ID.4 showed a real-world highway range of 190 miles. The Audi offers only one battery which delivers slightly less range than the similarly equipped ID.4. Audi forgoes the cheaper 58.0-kWh battery and equips the 2023 Q4 etron with the same 77.0-kWh battery found in the more expensive ID.4 models. The rear-wheel-drive Q4 e-tron provides up to 265 miles of range, while the all-wheel-drive version offers an estimated 242 miles for the Sportback body style and a lower 236 miles for the squareback. Both vehicles feature an 11.0-kW onboard charger. Interestingly, the Audi also loses out in stated maximum DC fast-charging figures. The 58.0-kWh Volkswagen can handle up to 140-kW of DC output. The 77.0-kWh battery VW can accept a higher 170 kW of DC charging, while the Q4 is only rated to accept 150 kW. Interior and CargoInside, both cars feel distinctly like the brands they hail from. The ID.4’s interior is comfortable but understated. It features a newly standard 12.0-inch center display and a redesigned center console. The center display features touch controls also found in the current generation Golf. It also features a unique gear selector mounted to the right of the digital instrument cluster. On the other hand, the Q4 follows recent interior trends from Audi. Gear selection is handled by a toggle-style shifter mounted on a peninsula jutting out from the dash. Audi is upgrading from the 10.1-inch screen in 2022 models to a larger 11.6-inch screen angled toward the driver. Optionally, there is an augmented-reality head-up display that projects moving icons for navigation onto the windshield. Volkswagen beats out Audi purely on infotainment screen size, but we prefer Audi’s MMI. VolkswagenAudiIn terms of cargo space, VW claims 30 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 60 with them flat. Interestingly, due to a quirk in the EPA guidelines, the Sportback Q4 provides slightly more space than the SUV version allowing for 26 cubic feet of storage with the seats up and 54 with them down. The SUV provides one less cubic foot of space for both measurements. PricingThe ID.4 comes in significantly cheaper at the base end, with the 58.0-kW equipped version starting at $38,790. The cheapest Q4 comes equipped with the larger battery but starts at $49,995. Optional all-wheel drive is also more expensive for the Audi where it costs $5000 in contrast to the $3800 Volkswagen charges. Getting the Audi in the Sportback form adds another $3000 to the price. 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 2022 Honda Civic for sale in Texas has nearly 250,000 miles on the odometer.Its previous owner was a medical courier who regularly delivered supplies between Houston and Dallas.It’s listed for $17,899, which isn’t as cheap as you might think given its history.A used Honda Civic for sale with over 200,000 miles on the odometer is hardly newsworthy on its own. But when said high-mileage Civic is a 2022 model that was purchased by its first owner just over a year ago, we start to take notice. As reported by Tire Meets Road, this 2022 Civic sedan for sale at a dealership in Dallas, Texas, has clocked an unbelievable 248,740 miles. The more you think about it, the more inconceivable it sounds. It’s an average of over 600 miles per day. How can anyone drive that much? But the Carfax report bears out this owner’s driving-centric lifestyle, as it documents regular oil changes at the dealership, in this case Rusty Wallis Honda in Dallas. And by regular, we mean regular, as the Civic visited the service department just about every two weeks. Here we were thinking our long-term Civic Si was accumulating miles at a decent rate. . .There are some questionable elements to the report, such as the implausibility of the car’s first 10,000 miles coming in a three-day period between when the car was first marked as registered and when it came in for its first oil change. But as some have pointed out, that likely comes down to a delay in registration data making it onto the report. Driving 10,000 miles in a few weeks is no more reasonable, but it’s at least feasible.It turns out that the previous owner was a medical courier who made daily drives between Dallas to Houston delivering supplies. If that sounds vaguely familiar, you might be thinking of our story from 2016 about—you guessed it—a medical courier who drove around 200,000 miles per year in his 2011 Ford Fiesta.Drive ‘Till You DropThere was also the story from 2018 about a woman who put 1 million miles on her 2013 Hyundai Elantra over the course of five years. At that point, Hyundai got involved and gave her a new Elantra to replace the heavily used one. And there was the similar case of the 2007 Toyota Tundra that racked up seven-figure mileage, at which point Toyota bought the truck back to study it.Honda told C/D that it has no plans to purchase this particular Civic, but a spokesperson did say, “we hope its second owner will enjoy accumulating many more miles in it.” So, if you are willing to pay the $17,899 asking price for this Civic that’s, er, well past the break-in period, maybe this is your chance to break some sort of mileage record.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 Design has restored this 1962 Porsche 911 Targa as part of 50th-anniversary celebrations for the industrial-design firm.The theme of the restoration: the look of the all-black Chronograph 1 timepiece.The car and watch will be sold later this month by RM Sotheby’s at auction, with bid acceptance running from November 29 through December 14. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Porsche Design—an independent industrial design consultancy and brand—has teamed up with its vintage-vehicle cousin, Porsche Classic, to restore a 1972 Porsche 911 Targa. A factory-restored vintage 911 would be cool enough on its own, but this one has the additional lure (or ignominy) of having been rejuvenated to resemble a special wristwatch.Founded by Ferdinand Alexander “Butzi” Porsche—the original designer of the 911, and grandson of company founder Ferdinand Porsche—Porsche Design was meant to bring the German marque’s intensely focused engineering and minimalist aesthetics to other product categories. The first commission came from the automotive company itself, to create a premium timepiece that could be gifted to deserving employees and clients. The result was the Chronograph 1, the world’s first watch with an all-black matte case and dial. Inspired by Porsche’s signature non-reflecting dashboard gauges, the design flowed from Butzi’s stated desire to “create a watch to match the car.” Porsche Classic and Porsche Design have taken that instruction quite literally, sourcing a red 1972 911 T and converting it to matte-black spec, just like the Chronograph 1.The donor car for this process was quite tatty when it was located. “We had rust, and a lot of corrosion on the body. And the engine wasn’t running, or the gearbox,” said Uwe Makrutzki, manager of factory restorations at Porsche Classic, who oversaw the process. Worse, it had suffered notable physical molestations during the Me Decade. “This was one very funny thing which was modified,” Makrutzki said. “In the ’80s, whale-tail spoilers were very fashionable, and so a lot of customers, like this one, changed this to make their cars become more ‘sporty’ looking.”Fortunately, Porsche Classic is skilled at cetacean amputation. Even more fortunate, it has excellent parts availability for restoring these cars. “90 percent of the new parts were available,” said Makrutzki. Particularly deviling, however, was locating the proper camshaft housing, as the car was also to be upgraded to a hotted-up 2.4-liter “S” spec during the rehab process. After some searching, one was located, as new old stock from a dealer in the special procurement network. “This was not challenging,” Makrutzki said. “It just takes time, so we just have to be patient.”Happily, owners of classic Porsche 911 Targas will reap benefits from this process. “Prior to this project, the replacement Targa top we had in stock was only just close in texture to the original surface from 1972,” Makrutzki said. “So we took this opportunity to rebuild the material in exactly the surface and specification from 1972. And we got it.” That new manufactured piece will now be available for purchase via Porsche Classic.More Porsche ClassicsIn honor of the 50th anniversary of Porsche Design, an updated iteration of the Chronograph 1 was also created. “We kept the watch design entirely true to the 1972 original, including the brand’s old historical logo on the dial and crown,” said Roland Heiler, chief design officer of the Porsche Lifestyle Group. However, the company changed the case material from steel to titanium, for enhanced light-weighting and durability, and updated the works with modern mechanicals. The only other significant update appears on the rear. The rotor—the device that transforms the wearer’s motion into winding energy—now hosts a shape that will be familiar to any fan of vintage 911s. “It mirrors the original Fuchs wheels of the sports car,” Heiler said. Both the restored car and the special watch will be sold at auction by RM Sotheby’s starting November 29. Since the car has non-original engine and transmission, another numerical correspondence has been created to service high-end collectors’ obsession with matching numbers. Heiler said, “The timepiece features the car’s unique VIN on the case-back.”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

Amazon now has more than 1000 Rivian delivery vans on U.S. roads and they’ve been used to deliver more than 5 million packages since their launch in July.The online retailer has placed an order for 100,000 electric delivery vans with Rivian, a figure it hopes to achieve by 2030. The company plans to have multiple thousands on the road by the end of 2022. Amazon began rollout of its new electric delivery vans last summer to a dozen major metropolitan areas, with that figure growing to roughly 100 cities now. While the rest of us are overindulging on cheap Halloween candy and starting to think about all that gravy we’re going to have to try not to drink at Thanksgiving, Amazon is already listening to Bing Crosby Christmas albums and going through its gift list. The retail/delivery giant is quickly expanding its fleet of electric delivery vehicles, from the dozen cities it started with to over 100 cities today. Since they started delivering packages in July, the Rivian-built vans have delivered more than five million Amazon packages, the online sales giant said.Now, with the uptick of online shopping that is expected this time of year, Amazon is not only expanding the size of the fleet but the reach as well. Among the newest cities to receive the vans are Austin, Boston, Denver, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Madison, Newark, New York, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Portland, Provo, and Salt Lake City. More on RivianAmazon has invested a lot of money in Rivian over the past few years, led by a $700 million investment in 2019. That investment came with an order for 100,000 custom delivery vans by 2030. According to Amazon, there are now more than 1000 of the delivery vans on the road, with the hope of having multiple thousands by the end of the year. The custom vans are built exclusively for Amazon, though Rivian offers a similar-looking fleet van on its website. The current Amazon delivery fleet consists of Mercedes-Benz Sprinters, Ram ProMasters, and Ford Transit vans. 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

The 2023 Honda Pilot has been redesigned with a more rugged look, a roomier interior, and increased capability. The Pilot also has a new powertrain, a redesigned 285-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and a 10-speed automatic transmission.The TrailSport trim makes the Pilot truly capable off-road thanks to all-terrain tires, steel skid plates, and a lifted suspension.Ever since the original Honda Pilot debuted back in 2003, it has basically been a minivan dressed up as a three-row mid-size SUV. However, its shared bloodline with the sliding-door-toting Honda Odyssey wasn’t outwardly obvious until the outgoing third generation. That’s when the Pilot showed its true colors, with a bulbous shape and bland bodywork that deviated from its boxier predecessors. That’s also one reason it failed to stand out in a competitive segment full of more interesting alternatives. Well, Honda has flipped the script, with the new fourth-generation 2023 Pilot getting bigger, brawnier, and better at doing off-road stuff.New Above and Below the HoodLet’s start with the obivous. The 2023 Honda Pilot no longer looks like a lifted minivan. Along with being a lot squarer than before, it has an upright front end and front roof pillars that sit farther back, giving it a longer dash-to-axle ratio. The Pilot is also 3.4 inches longer from stem to stern, and its wheelbase stretches by 2.8 inches, too. Its front and rear tracks are also wider, growing by up to 1.2 and 1.5 inches, respectively.The increased dimensions are part of a new platform, which makes the Pilot the most rigid it’s ever been, according to Honda. The company also says its new chassis includes a stiffer suspension, a quicker steering ratio, and other changes intended to make the Pilot handle and ride better. A set of larger front brake rotors (13.8 versus 12.6 inches) and a shorter overall pedal motion are improvements in the braking department. The addition of extra sound-deadening materials should also make for a quieter interior.It would’ve been easy for Honda to take the 280-hp SOHC 3.5-liter V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmision from the outgoing Pilot and plug it into the new one. Instead, the automaker completely redesigned its venerable engine, keeping the same displacement but making myriad improvements. In a nutshell, the new DOHC V-6 has better packaging. While the 3.5-liter makes the same 262 pound-feet of torque, horsepower rises to 285. A cylinder-deactivation system also joins the party in pursuit of better fuel economy. However, Honda hasn’t yet announced EPA estimates. All Pilots now have a 10-speed automatic transmission (paddle shifters included).TrailSport: A Truly Rugged TrimThe 2023 Pilot won’t be the first with a TrailSport-badged trim, it’ll just be the first one where it actually meant something. That’s because, unlike the glorified appearance package that came before, the new TrailSport model is truly capable on most trails—as we learned during a prototype drive.Equipped with all-terrain tires and steel skid plates, the off-road-oriented Pilot can go places its predecessors couldn’t. Adding to its capabilities are a 1.0-inch lift that increases ground clearance and provides better angles front and back for clearing obstacles. The TrailSport’s suspension has also been revised to do more than regular models. What if it gets a flat? There’s a full-size spare tire. What if it gets stuck? There are sturdy tow hooks built into the front bash plate and one on the standard trailer hitch.To help the TrailSport avoid getting stuck, Honda fits it with a specially calibrated all-wheel-drive system. We won’t get too complicated, but when the Trail drive mode is activated, the setup effectively manages traction to the appropriate wheels. Also useful in this mode is the aptly named TrailWatch camera system, which provides four different angles otherwise not viewable by the driver. It can be manually turned on or display it on its own at speeds below 15 mph. Speaking of low speeds, when combined with sloped surfaces, every 2023 Pilot has hill-descent control for the first time. An Inside JobSure, a model that can shuttle the whole family into the wilderness is cool, but that’s not the Pilot’s full-time job. It’s a people mover. And moving said people is much easier when the space inside is big and comfortable. Well, Honda says the second row has an extra 2.4 inches of legroom and the third row adds a half-inch of leg space. For those sitting in the middle row, those seats recline farther.The 2023 Pilot still has room for up to eight people, and the middle seat in the second row is removable. However, instead of having to leave that seat behind, there’s now room for it under the rear cargo area. The latter is also bigger than ever, measuring 22 cubic feet behind the third row and a massive 114 cubes with the second and third rows stowed. Honda improves small-item storage, too, with the return of a useful parcel shelf built into the dashboard. No one should have a problem finding a cupholer, either, as the Pilot has up to 14 of them.Overall, the inside of the new Pilot looks ritizier. The materials appear to be more upscale and the design is undeniably more mature. The standard gauge cluster is part digital, part analog (as seen in other Honda models). Those who opt for the top-of-the-line Elite trim exclusively get a 10.2-inch digital cluster and a head-up display. Apart from the base-level Sport, which features a 7.0-inch touchscreen, every Pilot has a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.Availability and PricingHonda hasn’t yet told us how much it’ll charge for the 2023 Pilot, which will be offered in Sport, EX-L, TrailSport, Touring, and Elite trim levels. The previous generation ended with starting prices between about $39k—$53k, and we expect to see those costs rise by a couple thousand dollars across the board. We’ll likely know the exact MSRPs before the new Pilot goes on sale next month.Supplemental Pilot StoriesThis 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