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The McLaren F1 turned 30 last month. To celebrate, some owners took their cars on a tour around Italy’s Lake Garda. F1 designer Gordon Murray showed up with his new creation, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, and it made an impression. Listen to it rev towards its 12,100-rpm redline in one of the many tunnels surrounding the Italian lakes. As far as V-12 cars go, the F1 and T.50 sound quite different. It’s not just because the T.50’s 3.9-liter V-12 revs quite a bit higher than the F1’s 6.1-liter, which redlines at 7500 rpm. The T.50’s parallel three-into-two-into-one exhaust system makes it sound like it’s revving even higher still, evoking old-school Formula 1 cars in the process. Except for the long-delayed Aston Martin Valkryie—which also uses a high-revving Cosworth V-12—there’s never been another road car that sounds like this.

As good as the T.50 sounds on the outside, it should be even better in the cabin. There’s a RAM intake just above the driver’s head that feeds four throttle bodies. Murray’s big on intake noise, and with a setup like this, the T.50 should have a lot of it. In-car video from GMA test driver and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti lapping the T.50 at the Goodwood Members Meeting last year gives us an idea of what to expect.
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Thankfully, GMA is committed to using this V-12 for as long as regulations allow. So we’ll get to hear it for years to come. Lucky us.

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Honda has fully revealed the 2023 HR-V, the second generation of its subcompact crossover, with funky new styling and larger dimensions. This is thanks to the HR-V ditching its Fit hatchback underpinnings to instead borrow the latest Civic’s platform, and all 2023 HR-Vs are powered by the Civic’s naturally aspirated 2.0-liter inline-four making 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. While there is only one engine option in the new HR-V, the crossover comes in three trim levels—LX, Sport, and EX-L—so we asked our editors to each pick one of the trims and spec it to their liking. Using Honda’s online configurator, here’s what we ended up choosing.

Tony Quiroga’s $26,790 2023 HR-V LX

Honda

Honda

A Honda HR-V is a value play. With that in mind, my goal is to make the most of every dollar which is why I’m choosing the HR-V LX. At $24,895, the LX is the least expensive way to get an HR-V. Okay, so it doesn’t have heated or power seats and my front-seat passenger will be at my mercy since there’s only single-zone climate control. I won’t miss any of those things. I also don’t want an automatically dimming rearview mirror. I can dim my own rearview mirror, thank you. And I’m of the belief that ambient lighting makes cars look like cheap nightclubs, so I’m more than happy that the LX does without. I prefer extra headroom to moonroofs. The only bit I’ll miss in my basic LX is the leather-wrapped steering wheel. Every time I touch the plastic steering wheel rim I’ll be reminded of my cheap ways.To help inattentive drivers, even the most basic HR-V comes with forward-collision warning, collision-mitigation braking, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keeping assistance. I don’t particularly want any of those things, but the HR-V comes very well equipped should you be prone to zoning out when you’re driving. Since I know how to adjust my mirrors to avoid blind spots, I won’t miss the Sport and EX-L’s blind-spot monitoring system. No matter the trim level, every new HR-V gets the same 158-hp 2.0-liter four and CVT automatic. In the interest of being able to accelerate from a stop without any wheelspin, my sole factory extra will be all-wheel drive for $1500. All-wheel drive might help resale value too, maybe. Probably. All HR-Vs have identical LED headlights, the same four-wheel disc brakes, and even the suspension setup is identical from the base LX to the top-dog EX-L. Clearly, the best value is in the base version. Too bad there aren’t more colors available. The LX offers two whites, black, gray, and a very light green called Nordic Forest Pearl for $395 to bring the total to $26,790. I’m willing to pay to put a little color in my life and maybe for someone to wrap the steering wheel in leather. —Tony QuirogaAustin Irwin’s $27,480 2023 HR-V Sport

Honda

Honda

I’d be ecstatic if the new HR-V ended up being as fun to drive as the 11th-generation Civic it shares a platform with, but until we’ve driven one, we can’t say for certain. Admittedly, the use of the Civic’s base 158-hp powertrain and a CVT doesn’t give us much hope, but where other equipment is concerned, the HR-V Sport is like a Civic with extra real estate. At least on paper. The HR-V Sport starts at $26,895 (just $250 more than the similarly equipped Civic EX) and comes standard with black 18-inch wheels, remote start, and heated front seats. I don’t think all-wheel drive is necessary here. For the $1500 it costs to add all-wheel drive, I’d put that cash toward a set of Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 winter tires that would be more effective where traction is needed. Front-wheel-drive HR-Vs get an EPA-estimated 32 mpg on the highway, which is a 2-mpg advantage over the all-wheel-drive model, but far from the efficiency of a Civic hatchback or sedan with the same engine and transmission. The HR-V Sport is only available with black wheels, which go really well with the Nordic Forest Pearl paint ($395). Why choose a black cloth interior? Simple, it’s the only choice. Unlike both the cheaper LX and top-trim EX-L, the Sport comes with a chrome exhaust tip, giving it some much-needed zest to an otherwise very normal and polite-looking subcompact crossover. For $27,480, my HR-V is a less efficient yet more practical Civic. —Austin IrwinCaleb Miller’s $35,614 2023 HR-V EX-L

Honda

Honda

The HR-V’s exterior design doesn’t exactly appeal to me with its dowdy, overbite front fascia, so the only way to make the HR-V palatable was to throw all of the options at it. I started with the top EX-L trim at $27,450, which includes goodies like an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, nine-inch touchscreen, leather-trimmed seats, wireless Apple CarPlay, and an eight-speaker sound system. I spent $1500 for all-wheel drive and $358 for the All-Season Protection package II, necessities for the harsh Michigan winters.I then went for the most outdoorsy look possible, choosing the Nordic Forest Pearl paint ($395) and the 17-inch HPD bronze wheels ($1400). I then added the $1402 HPD package, which includes silver trim around the base of the car, HPD badges, and a decal on the rear fender. I also specced the Rugged package for extra “ruggedness,” spending $1100 for chunky fender flares, door trim, and a grille surround trim piece. I blacked out the badges for $105, and spent $395 on a roof rack and $264 on a kayak attachment for the weekend adventures that I’ll probably be too lazy to take. At least I’ll look like I have an “active lifestyle.” After destination and handling, my HR-V came out to a total of $35,614. —Caleb Miller

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The 2022 Ram 1500 TRX lineup is joined by a new Sandblast Edition, which is essentially a design kit.The kit has exclusive Mojave Sand paint, unique 18-inch wheels, and distinctive interior appointments.Based on the TRX with the loaded Level 2 Equipment package, the Sandblast Edition starts at $100,080.A heavy-metal band like Metallica would be the perfect group to promote a heavy-metal pickup like the 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX, especially with the truck’s newly introduced Sandblast Edition. After all, its sand-colored design theme would pair nicely with the roaring soundtrack of the TRX’s supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V-8 and James Hetfield’s supercharged vocals on “Enter Sandman.”
Instead of teaming up with a rock legend, Ram chose Ken Block to promote the 2022 TRX Sandblast Edition. True to his brand, Block thrashed the latest version of the supertruck on his YouTube channel in bits such as “Dune Hoon” and “Can it Khana?” It’s all good fun, but it doesn’t really demonstrate anything unique about the Sandblast Edition since it’s just an appearance package. Thanks to Block, though, we now know the kit’s exclusive Mojave Sand paint will make the TRX disappear after a series of especially enthusiastic desert donuts.
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Along with the unique paint color, the Sandblast Edition comes with black 18-inch beadlock-capable rims you won’t find on any other TRX. Ram also says it has special graphics, but we couldn’t spot them in the press photos, so you’ll have to take the company’s word for it. The interior is decorated with Light Frost contrast stitching and unique carbon-fiber trim. There’s also a badge on the center console that lets everyone know the truck is a Sandblast Edition, along with reminding them it has 702 horsepower and was designed in America.

The Sandblast Edition is only available on trucks with the Level 2 Equipment package. This means it’s loaded to the gills with all the best luxury amenities, tech options, and driver-assistance features. It also contributes to a lofty price. The ’22 TRX Sandblast Edition starts at $100,080 and goes on sale this summer.
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Polestar has released the first official image of the 2023 Polestar 3 electric SUV.This new model will be built at Volvo’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina.More details are coming in October, when the car will be officially launched.Polestar’s next model is called the 3, a logical follow-up to the brand’s first cars, the 1 and the 2, in more ways than just its name. The 2023 Polestar 3 is an electric SUV that will compete with the likes of the BMW iX and Jaguar I-Pace, and from the looks of this official image, it should be an attractive entry into this growing segment.

More details are coming in October, when the Polestar 3 will be fully revealed, but we already know it will offer a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain and a large battery pack. Polestar promises 372 miles of range on the optimistic WLTP cycle and we figure it’ll offer a range estimate of at least 300 miles on the U.S. EPA cycle. It will have two rows of seats and its interior is likely to follow a similar minimalist aesthetic as the Polestar 2’s cabin.Polestar, which is Volvo’s electric subbrand, says that production will begin in 2023 at Volvo’s plant in Charleston, South Carolina. The 3 will also be built in China. Ordering will open when the car debuts in October, and we think it’ll start at around $75,000, at least initially. A less expensive single-motor version may arrive later, as was the case with the Polestar 2.The Polestar 3 will be follow by two other new EVs: the Polestar 4 will come in 2023 as a smaller SUV model, while the Polestar 5 sedan is set to arrive in 2024 and will be similar to the Precept concept shown in 2020.
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