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Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson said that the next-generation Lexus sports coupe will be developed with GT3 racing in mind from the start.The current Lexus RC F GT3 race car was created as an “afterthought,” hampering its on-track abilities.Wilson hinted that the car will be heavily influenced by the Toyota GR GT3 concept shown earlier this year. While the Lexus RC—first introduced back in 2014—is a sharp-looking car, the coupe has always been a bit on the porky side. That extra weight not only affects the road car’s performance but has also hampered the car’s motorsports efforts in the GT3 class. At the Daytona 500 last week, Car and Driver spoke with Toyota Racing Development president David Wilson and learned that we may not have to wait much longer for a more dynamic next-generation Lexus coupe built with a focus on racing.

The current Lexus RC F GT3 race car.
Lexus

The current RC road car was not developed with motorsports in mind—Wilson described the current RC F GT3 race car as an “afterthought.” This has compromised its on-track performance. The RC F is heavier than its GT3 competition and has a larger frontal area, increasing drag and hindering straight-line top speed. “What we’ve all come to learn is that’s not the way you bring a GT3 car to market,” Wilson explained. “Before you put your first line on paper, you decide you’re going to race that car and that shapes the design parameters, the performance parameters of that production car.”

Having learned that lesson, Wilson suggested that the next Lexus sports coupe will be developed from the outset with a motorsports intent. And while he stressed that no official announcement has been made, he hinted that the car will draw heavily from the Toyota GR GT3 concept seen earlier this year at the Tokyo Auto Salon. “It’s fairly safe to connect the dots and suggest that that could be a precursor to the next global GT3 car for Lexus,” Wilson acknowledged.

The Toyota GR GT3 concept.
Toyota

Toyota’s Gazoo Racing division claims there will be running prototype of the GR GT3 concept by the end of the year. The prototype will be powered by an internal combustion engine, as hinted by the concept’s side-exit exhaust pipe behind the front wheels, and it’s likely that the next-generation Lexus production car will have a hybrid powertrain. We’ll likely get more hints at what form the road and race cars will take when the running prototype hits the track, and luckily we won’t have to wait too long to see the final product, with Wilson saying the race car should arrive “hopefully in a couple of years.”
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• We chose this 1997 Mercedes-Benz S600 coupe as our Bring a Trailer auction pick of the day; the online auction ends March 3.• It has a 6.0-liter V-12 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission.• This example has 50,000 miles on the odometer and is located in Ohio.The W140 Mercedes-Benz S-class doesn’t have the best reputation among S-class generations, as it was far more complex and expensive than its predecessor. But even if the more classically styled W126 model has aged better over time, the W140 is plenty interesting on its own—and we often forget about the relatively rare coupe body style, as exemplified by this 1997 S600 coupe open for bidding until March 3 on the Bring a Trailer auction site, which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

We’ve been thinking about the S-class coupe recently, as Mercedes dropped that variant altogether when it introduced the latest W223 S-class sedan for 2021. Fans of big coupes were better off back in this S600’s heyday: 1997 did technically mark the last year of the S-class coupe model line, but instead of disappearing entirely the big two-door simply returned for 1998 as the coupe-only CL-class. The CL moniker lasted for a few generations before Mercedes changed course once again and brought this model back within the S-class lineup for the flagship coupe’s final W222 generation.

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This S600’s naturally aspirated 6.0-liter V-12 engine also feels like an ancient relic. Mercedes does still sell V-12 engines in certain Maybach and AMG models, but the company has discussed phasing out this type of engine entirely in the future.While it’s not as flashy as Michael Jordan’s black S600 Lorinser with chrome wheels that was up for sale back in 2020, we think this white over tan example looks clean, and it only shows 50,000 miles on the odometer. The bidding currently sits at $20,000 as of Friday and bidding will end next week, on March 3, so go have a look if it strikes your fancy.

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Kia has announced pricing for the redesigned 2023 Sportage.It starts at $27,205 and ranges up to $38,005 for a loaded X-Pro Prestige model.Pricing for the hybrid and plug-in-hybrid models is coming later.Like nearly every new model these days, the redesigned 2023 Kia Sportage receives a significant base-price bump over its predecessor. The LX trim starts at $27,205, a $1900 increase over the outgoing 2022 model. The mid-level EX, though, is $29,205, which is actually $400 cheaper than it was last year.

The new Sportage’s other trim levels don’t line up neatly with the previous model’s lineup, as Kia has introduced a new X-Line model with an off-road appearance package that starts at $32,005 and comes standard with all-wheel drive. The previous Sportage’s SX Turbo trim with its optional 237-hp engine has also disappeared, as all Sportages now come with a naturally aspirated 187-hp 2.5-liter inline-four, with the front-wheel-drive SX starting at $32,705. All-wheel drive is an $1800 option on the LX, EX, and SX. Hybrid and plug-in-hybrid models are also set to follow, but we don’t have pricing for those yet.

Sportage X-Pro
Kia

The Sportage X-Pro is also a new model that features all-terrain tires and the same appearance tweaks as the X-Line. It starts at $36,205 and offers a Prestige package with extra equipment for $1800. All-wheel drive is standard here too, as you would expect for an off-road model.Kia says that 2023 Sportage models are starting to arrive at U.S. dealerships now, and the hybrid variants will launch later this year.
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• A near-9000-rpm redline, a manual transmission, and a droptop make this 2000 Honda S2000 a real catch on the Bring a Trailer auction site.• The AP1-generation S2000 was produced for model years 2000 through 2003. Later, AP2 models lose 800 rpm of revvability.• Bidding is open on this 2000 model until Monday, February 28, with current bidding at $19,700.There was a time not long ago when vehicles featuring the Holy Quaternity of Hooliganism—naturally aspirated, front-engine, rear-wheel drive, and with a manual gearbox—were abundant. So much so in fact, that even now defunct GM subbrand Saturn had an entry in the segment. These days, that luxury isn’t afforded to enthusiasts searching for something fresh off the assembly line. Sure, a few fantastic examples exist, like the recent 10Best-winning Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ siblings, but do any of these newfangled machines have an engine that will scream its way to an almost 9000-rpm redline? Much to our dismay, they do not. Fortunately for us, clean, unmolested examples of the AP1 Honda S2000 still exist – like this 2000 model, open for bidding until February 28 on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos.

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Car and Driver took the reins of a Y2K S2K back in ’99, and, to no one’s surprise, we gave it a glowing review. The obvious bit to praise was the engine, but that wasn’t the end of the story. The rigid construction, 50/50 weight distribution, and limited-slip differential made the S2000 a dreamy back-road companion. Its 0.90 g of lateral grip provided plenty of control when we wanted it, but the Honda’s tail could step out into a slide if poked and prodded just right.

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As for the transmission, the tight ratios on the six-speed unit meant the driver could keep the rpm up and in the power band, and we also praised the great shift action. But the main event here is the F20C inline four-cylinder. The S2000’s powerplant has an adrenaline effect: if your heart isn’t racing after consecutive redline shifts, please seek medical attention. Jokes aside, the intoxicating nature of the F20C is very serious. It’s a rather loud thing, too; we experienced 93 dBA at full throttle during our testing. A modern comparison? A 2021 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4, in our testing, tied that 93-decibel rating.

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This particular AP1 comes with a few extras: the original set of wheels with all-season tires (17-inch TSW wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires are currently installed), a Koyorad aluminum radiator, rear brake rotors, manufacturer’s literature, and more. The interior appears mostly in fine condition other than a bit of wear on the outer bolster of the driver’s seat and a tear in the carpeting. Some recent maintenance has been completed, most notably spark plugs in early 2020, a brake master cylinder replacement, battery replacement in November 2020, and the serpentine belt just one year ago. Anybody in the market for a riot of a driving experience should be looking at the S2000. With its wailing four-banger, fantastic shifter, and collapsible soft top, what’s not to like? Okay, sure, there are a few things not to like, but let’s not dwell too much on the lack of rear and cabin cargo space. What is important, however, is that the S2000 encapsulates all the hallmarks of a great sports car—and some lucky buyer is going to find out just how much fun it is. Bidding runs until late in the day on Monday, February 28, and as of Thursday sits at $19,700.

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Audi introduced a new 2022 Q5 40 base model with a less powerful engine.It has 201 horsepower compared with the Q5 45’s 261 horsepower.The Q5’s base price sits at $44,495, with the more powerful 45 now starting at $46,995.Audi quietly slipped in a less powerful base powertrain for the Q5 luxury crossover but has raised the price compared with last year’s base model. The 40 model now sits at the bottom of the 2022 Q5 lineup, starting at $44,495, a $100 increase over the 2021 Q5 45 base model. This new entry trim comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four with 201 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, versus the Q5 45’s version of this engine with 261 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. The 45 is still available, but you’ll now pay even more than before to get the more powerful engine, as it now starts at $46,995—a $2600 increase over last year.

Like the 45, this new base Q5 40 configuration comes standard with all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic and is offered in Premium, Premium Plus, and Prestige trim levels. It’s not available with the Q5’s swoopier Sportback body style, which comes standard with the 45 powertrain. When we tested a 2021 Q5 45, it got to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds and ran the quarter mile in 14.2 seconds at 97 mph. While we’ve haven’t gotten our hands on a Q5 40, we can anticipate it will be a few ticks slower in those metrics. EPA fuel-economy numbers for the two engines are nearly identical, but the 40 does have a 1-mpg advantage in its highway rating.The Q5’s price increase is noteworthy, but it isn’t as significant as some models that have seen even bigger jumps for the 2022 model year. And the average transaction price of new cars has also risen as of late, reaching $47,100 in January.
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