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The 2023 BMW Alpina B3 sedan and wagon inherit new styling and tech from the regular BMW 3-series.The Alpina models also receive powertrain upgrades that add 33 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque.The ’23 B3 sedan and wagon aren’t available in the U.S., but if they were, they might start at about $98,000. It’s human nature to want what we can’t have. Well, some of us Americans really want the freshly updated 2023 BMW Alpina B3 sedan (a.k.a. Saloon) or wagon (a.k.a. Touring), but, unfortunately, we can’t have either one. Instead, Alpina’s specially tuned version of the 3-series sedan and wagon are reserved for our enthusiast counterparts who live overseas.

Like the regular ’23 BMW 3-series models that do grace our shores, the Alpina variants also receive restyled exterior elements and a revised dashboard. The new crossover cues include a more angular front bumper and slimmer headlights. Likewise, the driver and front-seat passenger now face a curved display that spans most of the dash and incorporates a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 14.9-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. But what exclusive updates do the B3 Saloon and Touring get for 2023? We’re here to tell you.

Alpina

Alpina

Along with the visual changes and new tech, the most notable upgrade to the ’23 Alpina B3s is under the hood. BMW’s tuning house went to work on the cars’ twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six, helping it breathe better by adding a new exhaust system as well as installing new engine software. The result is increased horsepower and torque, with the former rising from 462 to 495 hp and the latter rising from 516 to 538 pound-feet. Both Alpina models can most easily be identified by their available multispoke 20-inch wheels (a set of 19-inchers is standard). A closer inspection will also reveal “Alpina” lettering on the bottom edge of the front bumper and specific badging on the sedan’s trunk lid and the wagon’s rear hatch. Inside, both body styles have unique details such as a plaque on the center console complete with an individual build number. The list of options for the Alpinas’ interior materials also has much greater variety than a mainstream BMW.
The ’23 BMW Alpina B3 Saloon and Touring can currently be configured on the company’s website (we recommend viewing the Australian or U.K. version). In the U.K., both B3s have a starting price that’s equal to roughly $98,000. We’d gladly pony up the money for the wagon shown here in a wonderful shade of Alpina Green paint—if only we had the chance.
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There’s a new version of the VW Golf R to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the R-badged hot-hatch models.The Golf R 20 Years has extra power from its turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, producing 329 hp.VW says there will be a version of this model coming to the U.S., but it won’t be exactly the same.While the Golf R doesn’t have as long of a history as the GTI, Volkswagen has been building hot hatchbacks with R badges for 20 years now. To celebrate, it’s releasing a Mk 8 Golf R 20 Years edition with the expected anniversary-edition tweaks plus an upgrade for the turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that brings on more power. The model you see here is the Europe-market version, but a VW spokesperson told C/D that a U.S. version is set to arrive later that will be slightly different.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen

The Golf R 20 Years’ engine is tuned to produce 329 horsepower, an increase of 14 hp over the U.S.-spec car’s 315 hp. There’s also a feature called Emotion Start that revs the engine to 2500 rpm when you start up the car—basically just to create more noise.Visual tweaks are subtle and include a “20” badge on the B-pillar, lights that project a “20 R” logo onto the ground, a different spoiler, and blue trim for the wheels, mirror caps, and seats.The first R-badged Golf was the R32, based on the two-door Mk 4 hatchback, and it had a naturally aspirated 3.2-liter VR6 engine. The Mk 5 R32 continued on with this six-cylinder powerplant, while the successive Mk 6, Mk 7, and Mk 8 models have all used turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-fours.

Volkswagen

VW says it will be sharing details about the U.S. version of the Golf R 20 Years at a later date, as it will arrive a few months after the European car.
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The open-topped version of the Maserati MC20 features innovative active glass roof.The electrochromic glass can be turned dark or clear and folds in 12 seconds.The convertible is just 143 pounds heavier than coupe, according to Maserati.When Maserati introduced the MC20 last year, we knew it would also create a convertible version of its junior supercar. What we couldn’t know until now, with the first official images you see here, is that the MC20 Cielo would be this handsome. Driving manners are certainly important in this part of the market, but so is design—and regardless of the dynamic experience, the decapitated MC20 is a spectacularly good-looking car.

The Cielo is not a conventional roadster, instead carrying a folding two-piece roof beneath the power-opening rear clamshell compartment. While heavy retractable hardtops have become less fashionable in recent years, as more luxury makers return to lighter fabric roofs, the MC20’s has a cool trick. It’s constructed from dimmable electrochromic glass that can be turned from clear to opaque using electrical current. The ability to see through a clear canopy (as well as remove it) inspired the car’s name: Cielo is Italian for sky. Maserati says that the roof can be opened and closed in a relatively speedy 12 seconds and that the Cielo weighs just 143 pounds more than its coupe sibling. For reference, Maserati claims a weight of 3307 pounds for the coupe, but our test car tipped the scales at 3757 pounds.
The Cielo shares its carbon-fiber tub with the MC20 coupe, and is mechanically unchanged, using the same innovative Nettuno twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 which features both a dry sump and Maserati’s pre-chamber combustion system. It produces 621 hp at 7500 rpm and accompanies this with 538 pound-feet of torque from just 3000 rpm. Drive is delivered to the rear axle through an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. Maserati claims the Cielo will accelerate to 62 mph in approximately 3.0 seconds and to 124 mph in 9.2 seconds. For reference, our test of the MC20 coupe resulted in a slightly less impressive 60 mph sprint of 3.2-seconds and a quarter-mile time of 11.0 seconds at 131 mph; we’d anticipate the Spyder to be a couple of tenths slower through both benchmarks. Top speed is claimed to be 199 mph. While roadster versions of supercars are often forced to sacrifice the snazzy doors of their permanently roofed siblings, the Cielo keeps the coupe’s butterfly opening doors. These rotate and hinge upwards to both ease access and make sure that every eye is turned whenever you get in and out. Drivers will be able to cycle through five dynamic modes through the rotary controller in the center of the cockpit. It changes color to indicate which one has been selected: Wet (green), GT (blue), Sport (red), Corsa, (yellow) and ESC OFF (orange).
The Cielo gets some other revisions that are also being integrated into the 2023 MC20 coupe. These include a new suite of active safety systems, with a 360-degree camera, traffic sign recognition, and autonomous emergency braking in addition to blind-spot monitoring. It will also be available with the new color seen in these images, Acquamarina, which will be available exclusively on the Primaserie first edition.We don’t have pricing details yet, although we anticipate the Cielo will carry a sizeable supplement over the Coupe’s $216,995 starting price. We also suspect a significant percentage of buyers will be prepared to pay this for the breezier thrills of this beautiful roadster.
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Hyundai is recalling 239,000 vehicles for seatbelt pretensioners that may deploy in a way that sprays shrapnel throughout the cabin, potentially injuring the occupants.The recall affects 2019–2022 Accents, 2021–2023 Elantras, and 2021–2022 Elantra Hybrids. Owners of affected vehicles can have a cap fitted to the pretensioners at no cost to prevent the potential abnormal deployment.It’s ironic that a device meant to keep vehicle occupants safe could end up doing the exact opposite. That is the basis for a recall issued on May 19 that is affecting 239,000 Hyundai vehicles in the United States. The NHTSA recall document states that the seatbelt pretensioners in these Hyundais may deploy in an abnormal manner, potentially exploding and injuring those in the vehicle. So far, there are reports of two injuries in the U.S. as a result of this malfunction, as well as one in Singapore. The recall affects 2019–2022 Accents, 2021–2023 Elantras, and 2021–2022 Elantra Hybrids.

Hyundai

Seatbelt pretensioners tighten the belts in preparation for a crash, some detonating a small charge that retracts the belt and secures the occupants milliseconds before impact. However, in the case of these Accent and Elantra models that are part of this recall, the explosion may not be contained, potentially sending shrapnel into the cabin. A specific cause is yet to be determined, but Hyundai is actively investigating the situation, according to the recall documentation.

This recall follows and replaces three prior recalls. According to NHTSA, around 61,000 Accents, 166,000 Elantras, and 12,000 Elantra Hybrids are involved in the current recall. Owners will be able to take their affected vehicles to dealerships where, at no cost, the pretensioners will be secured with a cap to stop the possibility of an abnormal deployment. Hyundai will reach out to owners by July 15, according to the NHTSA documents. Owners who want to find out if their vehicle is affected can check the NHTSA recalls website.

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UPDATE 5/25/2022: Stellantis will pay $300 million in fines and plead guilty to criminal charges resulting from an investigation into diesel emissions cheating by the company, according to a report from Reuters this morning. The Environmental Protection Agency launched the investigation in 2017 against the company’s former business unit, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), and had settled with FCA in 2019 for $800 million in civil penalties as described in the story below. The criminal charges and the plea deal are pending.Fiat Chrysler will pay $800 million in civil penalties and compliance costs to settle allegations that it installed “defeat device software” allowing its Jeep and Ram diesel vehicles to emit higher levels of nitrogen oxides while driving, the automaker said in a statement on Thursday.The settlement resolves allegations since January 2017 that the turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6 in the 2014–2016 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee had software that let the vehicles “operate in a way that produces increased NOx emissions off cycle,” according to a complaint filed separately by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). Roughly 100,000 vehicles are affected; of those, more than 13,000 are in California. FCA is one several manufacturers to use similar Bosch software that Volkswagen admitted in 2015 that it co-developed to cheat federal emissions tests. However, FCA has not been charged with any crime and maintains that it never intentionally deceived regulators.”The settlements do not change the company’s position that it did not engage in any deliberate scheme to install defeat devices to cheat emissions tests,” the automaker said. “Further, the consent decree and settlement agreements contain no finding or admission with regard to any alleged violations of vehicle emissions rules.”Settlement Includes Payments to Vehicle OwnersFCA has agreed to pay nearly $400 million in civil penalties, including $305 million to the EPA, the Department of Justice, and CARB; $6 million to Customs and Border Protection; and $72.5 million to various state attorneys general. California will receive $78.4 million, including a $19 million payment to upgrade an unspecified set of 200,000 vehicles with new catalytic converters. The remaining $400 million covers a software update and payments to current and former vehicle owners in amounts that average $2800 per person. FCA said the software update, which should be available to owners later this year, will not affect fuel economy or performance. In July 2017, the EPA and CARB approved 2017 model diesel Ram and Jeep vehicles after the company agreed to release this software update.At issue is what CARB calls “auxiliary emission-control devices” (in other words, software code) that can allow excess pollution at specific times, such as during a cold start or for dumping fuel to clean the particulate filter, that must be disclosed. CARB said FCA either did not disclose each of the eight devices on board or did not disclose them “fully or accurately.” Unlike the VW case, CARB and the EPA did not present evidence in their complaints of the exact amounts of nitrogen oxides that these vehicles emitted. Regardless, the nondisclosure of these devices makes the vehicles noncompliant with emissions laws.Since the VW scandal, CARB and the EPA have gone after other automakers and delayed their diesel-vehicle certifications. Mercedes-Benz, Ford, and General Motors are facing federal investigations and class-action suits for the same allegations. However, these automakers, including FCA, have not been found guilty of any crime. VW was found to have colluded with Bosch to pass U.S. emissions only while its vehicles sensed they were being tested by federal agencies, while otherwise they operated in a completely different driving mode that polluted up to 40 times above the legal limit. This story was originally published on January 10, 2019.

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