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The Mercedes-AMG SL43 is an entry-level model for the latest generation of the SL. It is powered by a 389-horsepower turbocharged inline-four.This is the first production vehicle to feature a turbo with an electric motor on the turbocharger shaft that can spin the compressor wheel to reduce lag and maintain boost pressure when the driver lets off the gas pedal.Mercedes is still deciding whether it wants to bring the four-cylinder SL43 to the United States market.The new Mercedes-AMG SL43 may be the entry-level model in the grand tourer’s lineup, but that doesn’t mean the SL43 is basic. While it has only half as many cylinders as its higher-performance, V-8-powered SL55 and SL63 siblings, this model has technology derived from Formula 1 that promises increased responsiveness from the turbocharged inline-four.

Mercedes-Benz

The SL43’s party piece is a turbocharger with an electric motor plus the typical exhaust-gas plumbing. This production-car first is fitted to the M139 2.0-liter inline-four, the same engine found in the CLA45 and GLA45 AMG models. The motor is only about an inch and a half thick and mounted on the shaft between the turbine wheel and compressor wheel. The whole point is that this motor can spin the compressor wheel before the exhaust gases do, reducing turbo lag, providing a near-immediate response when the driver pins the throttle, and maintaining boost pressure even when the driver lets off the gas or hits the brakes. This same technology is found in the turbocharged 1.6-liter V-6 hybrids used by the Mercedes-AMG Formula 1 team.

Mercedes-Benz

The four-cylinder engine pumps out a continuous total of 376 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, while the 48-volt, belt-driven starter-generator can provide a brief boost of 13 extra horses. The 48-volt setup also allows the SL43 to recoup energy while slowing and smoothing out the engine’s start-stop function. The M139 is, for the first time, mounted longitudinally in the SL43 and linked to a nine-speed automatic transmission with the AMG-typical wet clutch pack in place of a torque converter. Mercedes claims the rear-wheel-drive roadster can hit 62 mph in 4.9 seconds on its way to a 170 mph top speed.

A few minor visual changes distinguish the SL43 from the 55 and 63. The tailpipes are round and the rear bumper is simplified, ditching the vents behind the rear wheels. The front bumper is also reshaped, and the SL43 rides on 19-inch wheels as standard, with optional 20- and 21-inch wheels. The SL43 isn’t confirmed for the United States, with a Mercedes spokesperson telling Car and Driver that the roadster is “is currently still under consideration for the U.S. market.” If it does reach our shores, expect it to be considerably cheaper than the SL55, which we estimate will cost around $135,000.
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Hyundai will show an updated version of the Palisade next week at the New York auto show.This teaser photo shows a glimpse of its redesigned front end.We expect the 2023 Palisade to go on sale in the U.S. later this year.Hyundai’s three-row Palisade SUV already has a distinctive front-end design, and it will be getting a significant facelift for 2023 if this teaser photo is any indication. The 2023 Hyundai Palisade will make its official debut April 13 at the New York auto show, and we expect there to be a few interior updates as well.

The image Hyundai released shows that the grille has a chunkier texture and differently shaped chrome trim, while the new lighting treatment features a large vertical light strip that could be either the daytime running lights or LED accent lighting. Hyundai isn’t talking about the interior yet, but we figure the updated Palisade could have new upholstery options and a few added tech features. Hyundai says that this image shows the top-of-the-line Calligraphy model; the new version should still be available in SE, SEL, and Limited trim levels too.

Hyundai

We don’t anticipate any changes to the Palisade’s powertrain, a naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V-6 that’s available with either front- or all-wheel drive. A hybrid model remains conspicuously absent from the lineup, given that Hyundai sells gas-electric versions of both the Santa Fe and Tucson, but we haven’t heard any rumors of a Palisade hybrid recently.The closely related Kia Telluride, which shares its platform and powertrain with the Palisade, is also a likely recipient of some freshening for 2023, but Kia has yet to confirm that model’s debut.
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Lexus will reveal the new 2023 RZ450e electric vehicle on April 20.A new photo of the interior shows its yoke-style steering wheel, which Lexus confirmed is coming to the U.S.The RZ is expected to share some components with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra.A new photo of the 2023 Lexus RZ’s interior reveals that it will have a yoke-style steering wheel. And what’s more, Lexus confirmed to C/D that this unconventional setup will be offered in the U.S. version of this new EV—unlike the related Toyota bZ4X, which is only set to offer the yoke in other global markets.

The inclusion of such a feature is a clear shot at Tesla, which offers a yoke as standard in the Tesla Model S and Model X. But we’re thinking that the Lexus’s setup may end up feeling quite different than the Tesla’s in practice. When Toyota first detailed the yoke system in the bZ4X, it said it would limit the total rotation of the wheel to 150 degrees and use the steer-by-wire technology to turn the wheels an appropriate amount based on the driver’s input. When we sampled Tesla’s yoke in a Model S Plaid, we found its execution to be poor, as it sometimes requires the driver to turn past about 180 degrees, which makes it awkward and unpredictable to use.Fans of conventional, round steering wheels shouldn’t worry too much, as we’re certain that the yoke will be an option on the RZ rather than standard equipment. From this interior photo we can also see that the RZ will have a rotary-style shift knob, a touchscreen infotainment system, and a power button—unlike some other EVs which automatically turn on when you enter the cabin.
Although we’ve already seen photos of the 2023 Lexus RZ450e’s exterior, Lexus will reveal more details—likely including powertrain specs and range estimates—on April 20 when it makes its official debut.
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• If you’re in the market for a truly awful car from the ’90s with a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine and 13-inch tires, has Bring a Trailer got a car for you.• The tiny Metro was a product of long-departed General Motors brand Geo and also wore the Chevrolet badge at one time.• With bidding set to end on Friday, April 8, the high offer is currently $5100. There could be a bargain price coming for the winning bidder.Last week, everyone went berserk over a three-cylinder Toyota. This week, go reveal your inner freak for a three-cylinder Geo. It’s magenta, it’s terrible, and like most great terrible cars, it’s now commanding actual money on Bring a Trailer—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). The listing for this 1993 Metro ends in three days, after which you will most likely be unable to purchase a similar three-cylinder convertible with 13-inch tires and 36,000 miles for what could be several months.

Bring a Trailer

The Geo Metro tends to come and go in the automotive news cycle. A 400-mile Chevy-branded Metro—the very last two-door hatch before production swiftly ended in 2001—sold on BaT last November for over 18 grand. Considering we bought four all at once for $4500 just a few years ago, the leading bidder is betting on a bright future. When gas prices skyrocketed to then-record levels in 2008, Metros were selling for more than $7000 (we tested one in 1992 that listed at $8670). The little cars’ ability to hit 50-plus miles per gallon was the product of physics, not any technical genius at the Suzuki plants that built them (and the Swift) from 1989 through 2001. When a motorized object weighing less than a ton cuts through the air with the engine displacement of two water bottles, efficiency is the only result.

Bring a Trailer

This magenta Metro LSi might appear to be resprayed—it’s bright red under the hood—but the seller and many Metro enthusiasts insist this was a factory feature. There’s also a driver’s-side airbag, air conditioning, a scrunchy black soft top, windows that roll up and down, and absolutely immaculate Geo hubcaps. The 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine has electronic fuel injection and OBD-I sensors to keep all 55 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque in clean shape. Everything looks original except the JVC stereo. After its purchase in California, the magenta Metro lived a quiet life in Las Vegas for the next 13 or so years until it moved to Oklahoma and then Colorado. How baby Geo got to Pennsylvania in one piece is a good question to ask in the BaT comments.

Bring a Trailer

We don’t need to ask, since we’ve driven many Metros. The Metro LSi convertible we tested for our January 1991 issue cost an astounding $11,106—that’s more than $23,000 in modern dollars—so don’t complain about new cars being pricey. And don’t yell at your own car for being slow. During a 12-car mega test in 1992, a Metro made it to 60 mph in 13.1 seconds. In 2009, a Chevrolet-branded 1998 Metro we drove as a control subject against the Toyota Prius and Honda Insight needed 2.8 more seconds. “It takes 20.3 seconds to cover the quarter-mile, roughly twice the average span that Americans will listen to Kenny G before changing channels,” wrote John Phillips. Removing the roof ensured the Metro had “all the structural integrity of hollandaise sauce atop filet of eel.” For once, Phillips was shooting for accuracy, not humor. The next owner of the magenta Metro will miss out on power steering and service records. In their place are the original owner’s manuals, all the original keys, some burned CD in Sharpie marker, and a brochure about the Geo Satisfaction System. The auction ends on Friday, April 8. Merge with caution and enjoy.

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Porsche is investing $75 million in Chilean company HIF, which has developed a method of creating a synthetic liquid fuel that can be used in any gasoline-burning engine and is also almost carbon neutral.Porsche said it remains committed to electric powertrains for future models, but doesn’t want to leave its current customers behind. A synthetic, carbon-neutral fuel is just the answer.HIF plans to start production of its eFuel in the middle of this year, and Porsche will use the fuel in motorsports when it’s available.Porsche’s interest in synthetic fuels goes back a few years now, but the reasons behind the company’s desire to offer a sustainable alternative to gasoline reach back into its racing past and that of the 911. Today, Porsche announced a big step forward in the production of commercial liquid synthetic fuels: an investment of $75 million in Chilean eFuel producer Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF).

Porsche (and the Volkswagen Group as a whole) remains hugely invested in bringing more electric vehicles to market, with Porsche itself spending hundreds of millions of dollars on EV technology. But new EVs don’t help today’s Porsche owners, which is where Porsche’s investment in a gas substitute called eFuel comes in. Porsche says the electricity-based synthetic fuel that’s produced using wind energy is almost carbon neutral and that it is an ideal option for driving enthusiasts. The company wants to sell eFuel at its Experience Centers and may one day deliver all new cars with a tank of eFuel, Porsche executive board member Michael Steiner said on a conference call with reporters, but there’s one other important market for a carbon-neutral fuel.

“Besides racing and the Porsche Experience Center, the iconic 911 is the main focus for our eFuel project,” Steiner said. Porsche knows that it doesn’t matter in the big picture if you say you’re eliminating carbon emissions from this model or that one; the key is to get fossil fuels out of the picture. If you can do that, and still drive a liquid-fueled car, why not make it a 911? Steiner said. Porsche wants to provide its drivers with this option wherever feasible.”Whether we offer [our eFuel] everywhere in the world, I would say no,” he said. “But in terms of consumed fuel, it is our target to take care that all the fuel that is consumed by, for example, 911s will be provided as eFuel, but not at every location.”Porsche’s $75 million investment is enough to give the automaker a stake in HIF of around 12.5 percent. HIF’s eFuel production method, developed with help from Siemens Energy and ExxonMobil, uses wind power to turn hydrogen and CO2 into a liquid fuel. HIF expects to start producing eFuel in Chile in the middle of this year.That fuel works in any car that burns gasoline, which is exactly what a carbon-neutral needs to do, Steiner said. Porsche could probably design a fuel for a specific engine, but whatever efficiency gains you might find wouldn’t solve the main problem: letting old 911s continue to cruise the streets without contributing much of anything to global warming. “The answer is no, we do not plan to design new combustion-engine technology for a specifically designed eFuel,” he said. “The main reason is that . . . if you use a designed fuel, you cannot use this fuel in the existing car fleet.”Some of Porsche’s HIF investment will be spent bringing eFuel production sites to places other than Chile, such as the U.S. and Australia. Porsche said it thinks aviation and ocean shipping companies might also be interested in eFuels. Porsche plans to introduce more of the world to eFuels through “motorsport flagship projects,” but no details have been released.
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