News

BMW has launched an electric 3-series called the i3 eDrive35L, which is being built exclusively for the Chinese market.The i3 has 282 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and a 66.1-kWh battery providing 327 miles of range on China’s test cycle.The i3 eDrive35L has a 4.3-inch longer wheelbase than the standard 3-series, and will launch in China in May 2022.The BMW i3 is back, but not as we once knew it. Instead of a tiny hatchback with concept-car styling and a carbon-fiber-reinforced-plastic structure, the new BMW i3 is an electric version of the venerable 3-series sedan. But BMW’s latest EV will not be available stateside, with the i3 eDrive35L being built exclusively for the Chinese market.

BMW

The i3 utilizes a similar powertrain as BMW’s latest electric offerings such as the i4, iX, and the iX3 that’s also not sold in America. BMW didn’t provide specifics on the i3’s electric motors, but given that the i4 eDrive40 is rear-wheel-drive and BMW is promising “sporty driving dynamics,” we would expect the i3 to feature a single motor on the rear axle, which the cutaway image provided seems to confirm. BMW did say that the i3 makes 282 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This allows the i3 to scoot to 62 mph in a claimed 6.2 seconds. A 66.1-kWh battery provides 327 miles on China’s CLTC testing cycle, and BMW says the i3 will charge from 10 to 80 percent in 35 minutes.

You may have noticed the L tacked on at the end of the name—this denotes a lengthier wheelbase, with an extra 4.3 inches between the i3’s wheels compared to a standard 3-series sedan. Long-wheelbase versions of luxury sedans are popular in China, where having a chauffeur is more commonplace than it is here. The i3 will launch in China in May of this year and will be built in Shenyang by BMW Brilliance, a joint venture with Chinese automaker Brilliance Auto. Perhaps BMW will eventually bring an electric 3-series to the U.S., but for now, the electric sedan space is occupied by the i4.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

In a contentious, pricey used-auto market, Honda is looking to win new buyers by expanding its own Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) offerings.The new HondaTrue Used and Acura Precision Used programs will include vehicles up to 10 model years old (as well as newer ones, like the 2018 Civic Si coupe shown above).The goal is to get first-time buyers and other used-car shoppers into Honda dealerships where they can get a Honda limited warranty, rather than buy from one of the online sellers that are out there now.Honda is putting its reputation for reliability on the line while simultaneously looking to cash in on the presently red-hot used-car market. The Japanese automaker just launched HondaTrue Used, a nationwide Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) program available on Honda vehicles that are up to 10 model years old and with no limit as to the number of miles they’ve covered.A nearly identical CPO offer is being offered by Honda’s luxury division, Acura, under the title Acura Precision Used.

Both programs are aimed at car shoppers stymied by the soaring cost of late-model used cars in this post-pandemic era. The companies hope to capture a customer group that has been forced into older models but would still rather have the added peace of mind that makes CPO vehicles attractive, if slightly pricier than typical older used cars and trucks.

Honda

In the case of HondaTrue Used, the program includes a 112-point inspection by a certified Honda technician, along with perks like 100 days/5,000 miles of warranty coverage, a year’s worth of roadside assistance, three months of SiriusXM satellite radio (if applicable), and a three-day vehicle exchange program. Acura Precision Used has similar benefits, though with a slightly longer warranty of six months/7500 miles, whichever comes first. Dan Rodriguez, American Honda’s Head of Used Car and CPO, explained to Car and Driver that the goal of HondaTrue Used is about more than shifting more cars off dealership lots. “We think the best place for a customer to experience our brand is at one of our dealerships. In a perfect world, we see this as leading a customer on a journey through our brand.”From Honda’s perspective, this means today’s used-car shopper could eventually migrate to one of the automaker’s two higher tiers of CPO vehicles, or a brand-new car at some point down the road. “Quite honestly, we think the timing [of HondaTrue Used] is amazing,” Rodriguez added, in regard to the current tumultuous state of the new and used car market.Automotive sales have been significantly affected by pandemic shutdowns, microchip shortages, and, just recently, even parts supply issues due to the ongoing crisis in Ukraine. To compensate, many carmakers trimmed production and refocused on building their most lucrative models. The shortage of new vehicles has caused demand to rise for used cars and trucks. As a result, prices have skyrocketed over the past year. As we previously reported, transaction prices for used cars were 40.5 percent higher in January 2022 than in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index Summary. Dan Rodriguez said a HondaTrue Used shopper will be less particular about perfection, that nearly-new level of quality typical of many CPO offerings, including Hondas. Honda True Certified, Honda’s standard CPO program, presently covers vehicles from the 2017 to 2022 model years and carries a limit of 80,000 miles. “With [HondaTrue Used], we’re expecting cosmetic issues are not as much a part of the car shopping process,” Rodriguez explained. By this he means tiny door dings, paint scratches, or interior wear typical to a decade-old vehicle won’t be the deal breakers they might otherwise be on a vehicle only a few model years old. A HondaTrue Used vehicle’s multi-point checklist focuses more on mechanical and safety issues, such as brake pads or suspension components, for example. The vehicle’s completed inspection is digitized and can be viewed by a potential Honda shopper, so they know exactly which areas needed attention. Honda isn’t alone in zeroing in on the lucrative used-car market. Last year, Ford launched its Ford Blue Advantage CPO program on vehicles up to 10 years old, and with a maximum of 120,000 miles showing on the odometer. Then there are large-scale used car buyers and resellers, such as Carfax and Carvana. Each is even more open ended in terms of the age and mileage of their used-car inventory and, of course, their offerings run the full gamut of all makes and models. With this in mind, Rodriguez had one caveat to add for anyone considering HondaTrue Used, or Acura Precision Used. When asked if the programs covered every Honda vehicle, Rodriguez’s prompt response was, “Not the NSX.” To all those bargain-hunting hybrid supercar shoppers out there, you’ll have to dig for a deal elsewhere.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

You may be more familiar with the Jensen Interceptor, but the Jensen GT shooting brake is worth learning about.This rare example is for sale on Bring a Trailer in an auction that ends on Monday, April 4.In its day in the Seventies, the GT was overpriced compared to the Datsun 260Z and the Corvette. So far at auction, bidding is at a mere $5000 but should go up from there.How often does the chance come up to own the last of a British breed? Although Jensen Motors is better known for building the big-block-powered Interceptor, it’s this ultra-rare 1976 Jensen GT shooting brake that served to sunset a badge that had been in business since 1934. The car is currently up for auction on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

Bring a Trailer

Related Jensen-Healey roadsters have appeared on Bring a Trailer before, most recently in the form of a 1974 model selling for $15,350 in February 2022. With only 511 examples of its hardtop Jensen GT sibling ever built, however, it’s a much rarer find. In fact, only a trio of examples have found their way to the auction site in the past three years, and of those, two were projects that required serious attention. The current bid on this particular 1976 GT, which presents well as a driver and boasts recent engine servicing, sits at $5000 with five days to go.

The original open-top Jensen-Healey was intended as a replacement for the long-running but defunct Austin-Healey, with the project coming to life after Donald Healey was brought on by head honcho Kjell Qvale as Jensen’s chairman in 1970 and hired his son to engineer the model. Healey’s lightweight, well-balanced sports car debuted for the 1972 model year.

Bring a Trailer

Following on in 1975 was the Jensen GT, which in addition to its fixed roof also boasted a vestigial rear seat that only hinted at practicality. With Healey’s name wiped from the masthead after internal strife pushed both Donald and his progeny out of the Jensen picture, the roadster’s bodywork was stretched without any input from its original creator. The GT also benefited from a less troubled version of the initial roadster’s problematic dual-overhead-cam, all-aluminum Lotus-built engine good for 140 horsepower and 130 pound-feet of torque. With a few hundred pounds extra to cart around compared to the convertible, the Jensen GT was slightly less spry but still boasted a top speed of well over 100 mph.

Bring a Trailer

The GT was overpriced compared to equally exciting competitors from Datsun (the 260Z) and Chevrolet (the Corvette), but it had a combination of big comfort and a small package. However, many buyers were unwilling to extend Jensen the olive branch after reliability concerns with early Jensen-Healeys wrecked the automaker’s reputation in the U.S. Unable to save Jensen from economic turmoil, the GT ended up bookending the brand as it slid into bankruptcy, with only 269 models making it across the Atlantic before the company went out of business in mid-1976.Not quite a Europa, and a few paces behind the baby Interceptor that Qvale originally imagined, this 1976 Jensen GT nevertheless remains an intriguing piece of automotive history. It was inexpensive to run and rarer than many a modern exotic. And when was the last time you had the opportunity to pick up a genuine four-wheeled, one-of-500 anything for a price approaching affordability?

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are rumored to get Stellantis’ new inline-six engine, dubbed Hurricane.The high-output version of the twin-turbo 3.0-liter is slated to produce 500 hp and 475 pound-feet of torque.Owner’s manuals and a screenshot from Jeep’s configurator purport to reveal towing and pricing specs for this new engine option.Stellantis recently revealed a new inline-six engine called Hurricane, and it appears that the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer will be among the first models to use this new powertrain. TFLTruck.com found an amended owner’s manual for the 2022 Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer that lists towing specs for the new twin-turbo 3.0-liter engine, while journalist Gary Gastelu tweeted a screenshot of Jeep’s online configurator that briefly showed the inline-six as a $2000 option (it’s since been removed from Jeep’s website).
This content is imported from Twitter. 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.

If we put all this evidence together with Stellantis’ claims for the Hurricane engine, we can surmise that the Jeep Grand Wagoneer will soon offer the high-output version of the inline-six in addition to the standard 6.4-liter V-8. The Hurricane engine’s claimed 500 hp and 475 pound-feet of torque beat out the big V-8’s 471 hp and 455 pound-feet. The less expensive Wagoneer might use the lower-output version of the new inline-six, which claims 400 horsepower and 450 pound-feet of torque. The Wagoneer currently offers a 392-hp 5.7-liter V-8 engine with an eTorque hybrid system.The owner’s manual shows that the 3.0L models offer maximum towing capacity of 10,000 pounds when equipped with rear-wheel drive and a towing package. This matches the 5.7L Wagoneer’s max rating.Stellantis previously said that the Hurricane could make its way into any of its products with longitudinal engines, so this is likely just the start of this new powertrain’s prevalance across the lineup. We think it will eventually replace the Hemi V-8s currently found in Ram trucks, Jeep SUVs, and many other products.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. 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 created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More