Autos
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(Wealthy) Californians Can Buy 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 Manuals After All
Rich people in California, rejoice! It turns out that you will be able to purchase a brand spanking new 992-generation Porsche 911 GT3 with a six-speed manual transmission in the Golden State after all. In case you missed it, due to an antiquated California noise regulation, it looked like Porsche would be unable to sell either flavor of its newest high performance GT3 (the winged original or the wingless, trendy Touring model) in the car’s biggest market. Moreover, you couldn’t simply buy a three-pedal GT3 in say Nevada and then register the car in California. For nearly a week, it looked as if there would be no 2022 model year GT3s for either the Hollywood or Silicon Valley set. Here’s Porsche’s initial explanation for why the GT3 ran afoul of California’s r...
2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross First Test: Exactly What It Needs To Be
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross Full Overview Hop into the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the first thing you notice are a set of massive shift paddles mounted to the steering column. Huh? They look like they were taken straight out of the Lancer Evolution X from years ago, and they immediately convey a wildly specific message. It’s a message the rest of the Eclipse Cross can’t quite live up to. Paddles this huge are usually reserved for the sportiest automobiles, like Ferraris, and Lamborghinis. Or Mitsubishi Lancer Evos. Seeing them poke out from behind a small crossover’s steering wheel gives you the impression this SUV is built for serious drivers. However, the 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross is not made for people who love driving, but rather for a much wider range of buye...
2021 Tesla Model S Plaid: How to Use Launch Control to Eclipse Ludicrous Speed
Tesla Model S Full Overview The 2022 Tesla Model S Plaid has many things in its arsenal to put down some insane acceleration numbers. For starters, it includes three electric motors—one at the front axle, and one at each rear wheel—to total 1,020 horsepower and 1,050 lb-ft of torque. A set of 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (265/35 up front and 295/30 at the back) does the important job of putting that huge amount of power to the ground. And finally, the Model S Plaid’s launch-control system preps the powertrain for explosive, neck-snapping acceleration runs. Thankfully, activating launch control is fairly easy. Here’s how to do it: Tap the “Controls” icon on the infotainment screen (the icon is a mugshot of the Model S located at the lower left corner). This ...
Tesla Predictive Shifting Test and Review: Well, It Almost Works
Tesla Model S Full Overview What Tesla’s Predictive Shifting Does and Doesn’t Do The system’s official name is Auto Shift Out of Park (Beta), and that’s an accurate description, as is Musk’s use of the word “guess.” The idea is that when you power-up the Tesla (there’s no ignition key or power button; you just step on the brake), the car will know whether to shift into forward or reverse for your departure. One automated direction choice is all you get, as once the car moves, direction choices are all down to you. Letting the Model S Shift for Itself See all 120 photos Here’s how it goes, when it goes: Turn on the car, close your door, and fasten your seat belt (the 2022 Model S prompts you for the last two). If the car is able to ...
Before the X5 M, BMW Built a Wild 700-HP V-12 Prototype
The BMW X5 M, you probably know it well by now. It’s what happens when BMW takes the normal X5 and grants it with supercar power and sports car handling. Since its introduction roughly a decade ago, the X5 M has been changing our perception of what a performance SUV can be. And it was inspired by an ultra-powerful prototype SUV from Munich that was far more bonkers than the X5 M that followed: the X5 Le Mans. Just how extreme was the X5 Le Mans? Completely revised bodywork—including a new hood, bulging fenders, and a lower ride height—give the Le Mans a punchy look. Lightweight BBS LM wheels and a roll cage were added later. Lightweight buckets replace the original seats, and a gear lever for the six-speed manual transmission stands proud in the center console. But the real show...
Ford Tremor vs. Raptor: What’s the Difference Between These Off-Road Pickups?
Ford’s current lineup of off-road vehicles is stacked. Besides the radical, revived Bronco and new Bronco Sport, the iconic F-150 Raptor has been redesigned, and a new Tremor package available on every Ford truck increases all-around capability. Both the Tremor and Raptor are designed with off-road use in mind, but for different performances and different preferences. Why would you pick one over the other? Read on to understand your choices between the Raptor and the Tremor package. What Is the Ford Tremor Package? Forget the F-150 Tremor FX2 and FX4 street trucks. Today’s Tremor package adds capability to with equipment that improves off-road prowess while enabling strong towing and hauling. Available on the midsize Ranger, full-size F-150, and Super Duty trucks, it’s ta...
Testing the Tesla Model S Plaid: Milestones, Records, and Other Geeky Factoids
Hey, have you heard? The 2021.5/2022 Tesla Model S Plaid can run a sub-2.0-second 0-60-mph time on a prepped raceway surface. Well, sort of. The way we gather acceleration data uses the same launch methodology as the NHRA, drag racing’s sanctioning body. The official timer starts after 1 foot of forward progress—a.k.a. rollout—so that the car has fully broken the light beam at a competition drag strip’s start line. (We factor in this rollout via software when testing without a beam, which is most of the time.) The thing is, on a prepped surface so sticky with resin that it nearly pulls off your shoes, with three electric motors driving all four wheels, and 1,050 lb-ft of torque at your disposal, a lot can happen not only in one foot, but also within the length of a car on its w...
2022 Lexus LS500h Teammate Driver-Assist-System Review: There’s No “Tesla” in Teammate
Lexus LS Full Overview Tesla was first into the breach in the U.S. with a driver assist system capable of SAE Level 2 autonomy, which is the second-from-the-bottom tier of self-driving capability as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. (Full or close to full self-driving gets Level 4 and 5 designations.) Autopilot handles acceleration, braking, steering, and even lane changes on its own, but only on contained roads such as freeways, and the driver must monitor things. That Tesla allowed its Autopilot-equipped vehicles even that much autonomous leeway with the meager sensor package onboard raised eyebrows—all the more so when you consider what Lexus is bringing to the table with its SAE Level 2 setup dubbed Teammate. See all 23 photos It’s the Sensor Package, Stupid I...
The 2021 Toyota Mirai Arrives For a Yearlong Test: Will Hydrogen Make Us Happy?
Toyota Mirai Full Overview Hydrogen as a motor fuel: alive or dead? While some are already shoveling dirt in the grave, others say hydrogen is finally on the cusp of long-promised growth. It’s been nearly five years since we spent six months with a hydrogen-powered 2016 Toyota Mirai in our long-term fleet, and much has changed in the alternative-fuel world, including a spectacular new 2021 Toyota Mirai. Having been mega-impressed by the new car, we thought it was a good time to sign up for another long-term Mirai reassess hydrogen’s place in our rapidly electrifying automotive world. The new Mirai is a much nicer car than the outgoing model, with more range, more luxury, a lower price, and way more attractive styling. The 2021 Toyota Mirai is available in XLE and Limited ...
First Photos of 2022 Toyota Tundra Pickup Truck Spill Forth
Update: Toyota has decided to fight fire with fire. After murky images of the new Tundra leaked out this morning, Toyota responded by posting a much higher quality picture of the white truck you see before you on Twitter—along with a coy tweet aimed at whoever spilled the beans earlier today. The first photos of what appear to be the 2022 Toyota Tundra have surfaced online, allegedly leaked from a virtual reveal for dealers. Someone then posted the leaked photos of the new Tundra to the TundraCrew Facebook group, where they propagated to the wider internet via tundras.com. See all 37 photos The real surprises come at the rear—our first peek at the Tundra’s rump reveals interesting tri-bar taillights and, on this TRD Pro, another set of amber marker lights atop the tailgate...
Ford Bronco Sold Out for Years, Orders Pour in for F-150 Lightning and Maverick
Reservations are strong, Ford CEO Jim Farley said during the Deutsche Bank Global Auto Industry Conference. Filling them all will take some time. A shortage of semiconductor chips means inventory is not expected to return to normal levels until 2022. See all 4 photos Ford Bronco Has Two Years of Sales Orders So far 190,000 customers have reserved a Bronco, the rugged SUV that has seen its launch delayed a number of times, and which has had to sort out an issue with the supplier of its hardtops. But production is underway to fill the 125,000 reservations that have been converted to orders, Farley says. The SUV is essentially sold out for two years. In April Ford warned that the chip shortage would force it to cut production in half during the quarter that ends this month. Farley says day su...
Tesla Could Have Built a Quad-Motor Model S Beyond Plaid—Here’s Why It Didn’t
Elon Musk famously named the new tri-motor, high-performance variant of the 2022 Tesla Model S the “Plaid” because like the movie Spaceballs says, it’s the only step beyond “Ludicrous,” the previous top-dog in the Model S lineup. Well what if there is a step beyond Plaid and the cancelled Plaid+? According to a source at the company, there’s no reason why Tesla couldn’t make a quad-motor Model S if it wanted to. Why Would Tesla Want to Make a Quad-Motor Model S? Two reasons primarily: more power and more traction, which could potentially improve the Model S’ launch, and actually give it a sub-2.0-second 0-60 mph time without any gimmicks. According to the below cutaway, as the Model S Plaid is currently laid out it has two motors at the rear ...
