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Autopareri.com via Facebook

Leaked images purport to show the new Dodge Hornet small crossover.It will be closely related to the Alfa Romeo Tonale and will also offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain.The Dodge Hornet is expected to debut sometime in 2022 and could go on sale as soon as 2023.The first new product from Dodge in some time is rumored to be a new compact SUV called the Hornet, and we now have a better idea of what it might look like. Leaked screenshots from a Facebook video posted on Italian forum site Autopareri confirm previous reports that the Hornet would be closely related to the recently revealed Alfa Romeo Tonale.The original video, which looks to be taken on the factory floor, has since been taken down. But images circulating on forums and social media show a front end and interior design that are nearly identical to the Alfa’s. The key changes include a Dodge badge on the steering wheel, reshaped headlights, and extra vents and scoops suggesting that this red example could be a performance-oriented R/T model.
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The Dodge and Alfa Romeo siblings are expected to be built alongside each other in Italy, meaning they will likely share powertrain options. The Alfa will offer a 256-hp turbo 2.0-liter inline-four as the base engine and a 272-hp plug-in-hybrid setup with a turbo 1.3-liter gasoline engine. It’s possible the Dodge version will offer a lower-powered base engine as a cheaper option to compete with mainstream crossovers rather than the Alfa Romeo’s more upscale targets.We should learn more about the Hornet later this year, as previous reports said it would debut in 2022. The Tonale is scheduled to go on sale in early 2023, so the Dodge could hit U.S. dealerships a few months later than that.
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Subaru has announced pricing for the new 2022 WRX sedan.It starts at $30,100 and ranges up to $42,890 for the top GT model.A six-speed manual transmission is standard and a CVT automatic is an $1850–$2250 option.The new 2022 Subaru WRX is more expensive than before—especially the new range-topping GT trim level that crests $40,000. The WRX’s base price rises $1680 to $30,100, and the new model will also offer $32,600 Premium and $36,990 Limited trim levels in addition to the new $42,890 WRX GT that is unfortunately only offered with the optional CVT automatic.#SavetheManuals enthusiasts shouldn’t worry too much, though, because a six-speed manual transmission is still standard on all other trim levels, with the CVT available as an $1850–$2250 option on the base, Premium, and Limited. All-wheel drive and a 271-horsepower turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four are standard across the board.

Certain performance options are reserved for the automatic-only GT, including adaptive dampers and larger 18-inch wheels (17-inchers are standard on other models). The GT also has desirable Recaro front seats and additional drive modes compared with the base cars.Subaru previously told us that automatic-transmission WRX models were affected by supply-chain issues, so you may have better luck finding a car with a clutch pedal as they start arriving at dealerships. Subaru is now taking reservations on its website but hasn’t said exactly when deliveries will start.
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It’s still too early to know for sure how many vehicles were on board, but the car carrier sent out a distress call February 16 and had to be towed to the Azores. All crew members on board have reportedly been rescued, and the data website FleetMon is updating the ship’s status.According to people who claim to have ordered some of the Porsches on board, the automaker is aware of the situation and is telling people to hold on for more information once Porsche “know[s] the full scope of the issue.”This is also a bit of a flashback to 2019, when another ship caught fire with Porsches on board. That ship sank, and Porsche even restarted production for the small number of limited-edition Porsche 911 GT2 RS cars that were lost.UPDATE 2:35 p.m.: A Porsche Cars North America spokesperson sent Car and Driver the following statement: “Our immediate thoughts are of relief that the 22 crew of the merchant ship Felicity Ace are safe and well. A number of our cars are among the cargo. We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known. Customers affected by the incident are being contacted by their dealer. While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we are—along with our colleagues at Porsche AG—supporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions. Anyone concerned by this incident and the implications on the car they’ve ordered should maintain in contact with [the] dealer with which their order was placed.”A spokesperson for Lamborghini told C/D that the company is “aware of an incident involving a third-party cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic. The vessel was on its way to North America. At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are in contact with the shipping company to get more information about the incident.”The Ever Given. The Golden Ray. Every now and then, the name of an ocean freighter becomes important in the automotive world. The latest entry is the Felicity Ace, a car-carrier that was carrying an unspecified number of Volkswagen Group vehicles, including Porsche models, from Germany to Rhode Island. That was the ship’s mission until yesterday, when a fire broke out on board. The flames were bad enough that the captain had to abandon ship, and we do not yet know the fate of the vehicles on board. Details are coming in—we don’t yet know the cause of the fire, for example—and more information will need to be confirmed by VW and other authorities to determine the cause and eventual result of this incident. Here’s what we know at the moment. First, the good news. The roll-on-roll-off (RORO) car carrier was around 90 nautical miles southwest of the Azore Islands when it issued its first distress signal on the morning of February 16. According to FleetMon, which tracks ocean vessels, all 22 crew members were safely evacuated from the ship by helicopter and lifeboat. The Felicity Ace has been towed to the Azores, and ships from the Portugal Navy and other nearby vessels assisted with the rescue.
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“We are aware of an incident today involving a cargo ship transporting Volkswagen Group vehicles across the Atlantic,” VW toldCar and Driver in a statement. “The vessel had a loading capacity of nearly 4000 vehicles and was on its way to North America. At this time, we are not aware of any injuries. We are working with local authorities and the shipping company to investigate the cause of the incident.”Despite the 650-foot-long Felicity Ace’s 4000-vehicle capacity, we do not yet know if it was full of cars or a mix of cars and other cargo. A statement posted to Porsche’s Track Your Dream app, which allows people who have purchased a new Porsche to follow their vehicle’s journey from production facility to local dealership, and then on Twitter by self-described “occasional auto/motorsport writer” Zerin Dube, makes it clear that some Porsche buyers will need to wait longer than anticipated for their new cars.
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“We are aware of an incident aboard the Felicity Ace, a specialized cargo ship carrying certain Porsche vehicles,” the statement said. “Your dealership will provide you with additional information on how this impacts you as soon as we have additional information and know the full scope of the issue.”Another automotive journalist, Matt Farah of The Smoking Tire, posted that his dealer let him know that the Boxster Spyder he ordered was on the ship and that everyone now has to wait to see how Porsche will handle the situation. The Drive quoted Farah in an earlier news story about the incident.

There’s history to suggest that Porsche will make sure its customers will get the cars they ordered, since this isn’t the first time Porsche has had to deal with some of its vehicles not surviving their transoceanic journey. In 2019, the ship Grande America caught fire and sank with four limited Porsche 911 GT2 RS cars on board, along with 33 other Porsches and 2000 or so brand-new Audis that were on their way from Germany to South America. Porsche had already finished making any more of those limited-edition 911s, but it restarted production for the four GT2 RS buyers to keep its commitment to its customers willing to spend $300,000 on a car.This is a developing story; we will update when we have more information.

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This Daihatsu Midget II, on sale now on the auction site Bring a Trailer, was recently imported to the U.S. and comes with a die-cast model of itself. The Midget was first introduced in 1957 as a three-wheeler. The Midget II was introduced in 1996 and offered until 2001. With no reserve, and a current bid at $2996, it’s possible this little truck will go for a little price. Bidding ends on Wednesday, February 23.Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz who? You want a small truck, nobody does ’em better than the Japanese kei class. And this desirable example of the genre is currently listed on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos—in an auction ending Wednesday, February 23.

Bring a Trailer

Originally based around three-wheel motorcycle-based scooters, Japan’s kei cars and trucks have been around since the 1940s. With small footprints and miniature horsepower, they are useful around loading docks, farms, and factories, but they are also adorable, and street legal, even here in the States. In fact, it was one of our 12 Cool Cars Finally Legal for U.S. Import in 2021.This 1996 Daihatsu with its googly eyes and big spare-tire proboscis is a recent import to the U.S. I’m pretty much a sucker for any half-size auto, but even for a kei, this thing is a kutie. The super ’90s graphics on the spare tire cover, the super ’90s teal paint and chrome tubular bumpers and bed bar. It’s like someone looked at a Suzuki Samurai and said, “Sure, it’s okay, but does it have to be so large?”

Bring a Trailer

Kei-car regulations limit the size of the engines they come with, as well as how much power they can make, so the Daihatsu offers a nice even 30 ponies out of a 660-cc inline three-cylinder backed by a manual four-speed. I’ve driven the Honda Acty version of these trucks, and you’d be surprised how quickly you can get 1200 pounds moving with 30 horses. There were even racing series that featured the Midget II in all its leaning, barely powered glory. If you buy this one, you only need one more to start your own racing series. Or line it up against the kids on their bikes and see if they can outrun you.

Bring a Trailer

The Midget II is a single-seater, which means you won’t have to share its air-conditioned gray cloth interior with anyone. If you have friends, they can ride in the back, as the truck lords intended. All jokes aside, kei trucks make awesome runabouts near vacation houses or beach rentals, or just to pop out to the store for one forgotten ingredient. They are legal to register and drive on the street, and while I might not attempt Los Angeles freeways with one—although, on second thought, you could probably lane split; they aren’t even five feet wide—they’d be great for a busy city. You could park in all those tiny spaces left by people who don’t pull up far enough.

This Midget II looks to be in good shape, although it’s wearing mismatched tires on its 10-inch chrome wheels. Along with air conditioning, you get a Pioneer stereo, original sales literature, a Tomy model of a Daihatsu Midget II, and an alternate soft spare tire cover that says, “Midget II, the car that was so popular in the 1960s.” It probably sounded better in Japanese. A casual look at other Midget II ads leads me to believe that they go for between $4000 and $7000, so with a week to go and three bids so far, this little guy could still be a big bargain.

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Nissan announced two new EV models that will be built in Mississippi starting in 2025.One will be a Nissan and one will be an Infiniti, and teaser photos reveal that they both have sedan-like silhouettes.These are part of Nissan’s plan to launch 15 EVs by 2030.Nissan announced that it will build two new EV models for the U.S. at its plant in Canton, Mississippi, starting in 2025. One will be badged as a Nissan and the other as an Infiniti, and what’s perhaps most surprising about these new electric models is that they appear to be passenger cars rather than crossovers.

Nissan

Teaser videos show that both the Nissan and the Infiniti have low-slung silhouettes suggesting that they will either be sedans or four-door hatchbacks. The two are likely to share underpinnings and powertrains, with the Infiniti version likely to offer distinct styling and a more upscale interior. We think the Nissan might look like the IMS concept shown in 2019, while the Infiniti could take cues from the QS Inspiration concept (pictured below).

Nissan

Infiniti QS Inspiration concept
Infiniti

What Nissan and Infiniti will call these models is anyone’s guess, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Nissan version effectively replaces the Maxima in the lineup and adopts that familiar moniker. Likewise, the Infiniti version could take over for the aging Q50.We will likely find out more information about Nissan’s plans in the coming months, although these models themselves won’t start production in Mississippi until 2025. In the meantime, the company plans to launch the 2023 Ariya electric crossover in the U.S. later this year. It will start at $47,125 and will be built in Japan. By 2030, Nissan says it plans to launch 15 electric vehicles; earlier this year the company showed several EV concepts including a pickup truck, a convertible sports car, and several small SUVs.

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