Autos
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Lifestyle – Autos
Fiat Kills the 500L and 124 Spider and I Alone Will Miss Them Both
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles announced the Fiat 500L and 124 Spider won’t live to see the 2021 model year. I happened to mention to my colleagues at MotorTrend (via Slack, of course, because this is still 2020) that I would miss both cars, particularly the former. This incited an avalanche of abuse directed toward both the Fiat 500L and me. “A piglet,” editor in chief Mark Rechtin wrote. “An imported car so bad even Consumer Reports hated it.” “A boring car so bad even Consumer Reports hated it,” features editor Christian Seabaugh corrected. “It looked like an upside-down encephalitic dumpster that careened through a Crayola factory,” editorial director of daily content Erik Johnson chimed in. “Horrible,” senior ...
Plug-In Hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe Rubicon Costs Over Fifty Thousand Dollars
Early EV adopters paid a hefty premium for the right to say “they got it first.” Tesla, for example, didn’t release its budget-friendly Model 3 until six years after the luxurious flagship Model S made its debut. New 48-volt mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid tech has followed the very same trend, often ending up in pricier versions of a given model. The BMW X5 xDrive45e, for instance, is the most expensive X5 you can buy outside of the M-branded performance models. Ditto the Toyota RAV4 Prime plug-in. Jeep is following much the same trend with the new Wrangler 4xe, and placing it near the tippy top of the already pricey Wrangler lineup. The plug-in hybrid Wrangler 4xe will be available in two of the Wrangler’s nicer trims—either Sahara or Rubicon, and both will be...
Barn Find! 1969 RS/SS 396 Big-Block Chevy Camaro Found After Almost 40 Years!
Barn finds are something we all dream about discovering, but few of us actually do. Today the term “barn find” refers to any really cool classic car that’s found stuffed away in some dusty corner, old field, or the like, so it doesn’t actually have to be a barn (although that is a pretty cool bonus). See all 19 photos This time around, the find in question is a pretty iconic ride, namely a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS big-block 396 (325 hp). This one was built at the Van Nuys, California, plant and originally sold by Bob Coyle Chevrolet in San Jose, California. The great news is this classic Camaro came with a ton of original documents, including the original Protect-o-Plate (a small metal or plastic plaque GM started including with cars in the ’60s to help tra...
Give the Gift of the Ultimate Japanese Project Car: A Barn-Find 1973 Nissan Skyline GT-R
Surprising your significant other with a new car payment on a Lexus this holiday season? Not cool, bud. If you’re going to make rash, irresponsible financial decisions, you gotta think bigger than some lame ES350 in Moonbeam Beige Metallic from a December to Remember—we suggest hopping on this heaping scoop of “rotisserie restoration” and “dealing with trans-Pacific international customs” and scooping up this barn-find 1973 Nissan Skyline GT-R currently for sale in Hokkaido, Japan. The sale was recently reported by The Drive and resurfaced a few months ago on Reddit. Look, I know you were all jazzed up about presenting your guy or gal with an anodyne mid-grade crossover lease complete with the big ol’ red bow, but don’t forget you can buy...
The Lamborghini Jalpa Is a Forgotten Lambo Supercar
Lamborghini Jalpa Essential History Despite the myopia of popular car culture, the Countach wasn’t the only Lamborghini produced in the 1980s. Even with the public’s overwhelming fixation on Lambo’s superstar V-12 wedge, a small number of V-8-powered mid-engine sports cars were sold alongside the bigger, badder, and significantly more expensive Countach. They don’t get nearly as much attention then, either, but compared to the rarer and even lesser-known Urraco and Silhouette, the Lamborghini Jalpa, produced between 1981 and 1988, was the most popular entry-level Lamborghini until the Gallardo’s arrival in the early 2000s. Stylistically, the Bertone-designed Jalpa is very much an evolution of the earlier Silhouette, incorporating the Silhouette’s transve...
Near-Original 1969 Dodge Daytona Pulled Out of Storage After 45 Years
The accepted number of 1969 Dodge Daytonas produced in total is 503. No doubt, the 1969 Daytona ranks high on the desirability scale. The sole reason for the car’s existence is due to NASCAR‘s homologation process in 1969. If it wanted to race its cars, Chrysler had to produce 500 road-going examples. In civilian trim, there were only two engines available: the 440 Magnum, rated at 375 horses, and the extra-cost 426 Hemi, which was rated at 425 horses. Both engines were available with either a 727 Torqueflite automatic transmission or an A833 four-speed manual gearbox. Because these were extremely low-production vehicles with a single purpose, the final assembly of the Daytona was contracted to Michigan-based Creative Industries. Brand-new 1969 Dodge Charger R/Ts were load...
Alpha Motor Ace: A Retro-Cute EV With Charm in Spades
Just a few years ago, electric vehicles were soulless cages, commuter appliances begrudgingly produced to meet real or anticipated EV mandates. Automakers hardly wanted to develop and sell them, and consumers were even less enthusiastic. Something’s changed recently. A lot of credit goes to Tesla for making EVs uniquely cool, with the electric drivetrain part of the appeal rather than a big asterisk. Lately, other automakers have been exploring the cute end of the spectrum; witness the adorable, eminently desirable Honda E. Now that such possibilities have been demonstrated, EVs both proposed and real are getting much, much more interesting. Take the Alpha Motor Corporation’s Ace. See all 5 photos It’s more in the Kyocera Moeye vein of things, which is to say it’s r...
2021 Kia Sorento Interior Review: Technically Nice
Kia Sorento Full Overview There’s more to the 2021 Kia Sorento’s interior than just enormous screens. Kia’s least expensive three-row vehicle is new for 2021, and like pretty much every other redesigned vehicle, the new Sorento welcomes an increase in digital real estate. Great! But if you’re looking for a three-row SUV (or even a two-row midsize SUV), could the 2021 Sorento work, or should you stick with the full-size but excellent Telluride SUV? Check out our full review and then keep reading for interior highlights on two variants of the Sorento SUV we recently spent time with: the 2021 Sorento SX Prestige and the 2021 Sorento X-Line. 2021 Kia Sorento: Third-Row Space We won’t make you wait. If the Sorento attracts your attention because it offers three row...
Five Cool Alternatives to the Iconic LS V-8 Engine Swap
The Chevy LS V-8 engine has become the de facto engine swap suggestion for anyone seeking to add power to their existing platform, regardless of where the original vehicle might have been built or how many cylinders it left the factory with. It’s easy enough to understand why: the LS V-8 is relatively compact thanks to its OHV design, aluminum construction helps keep the weight down, and so many people have done this swap that a vast wealth of experience is available to draw from when planning your own engine surgery. Still, the LS doesn’t have to be the go-to drop-in whenever you’re looking for more power. There are a number of other very popular swaps out there that have consistently crossed company lines to deliver reliable and fairly affordable horses, each ...
Meet the McLaren Sabre: a Limited-Run of Custom, 824-HP Supercars
Not too long ago, we showed you patent images that purported to show the wild shape of an upcoming limited-run supercar called the McLaren Sabre (nee BC-03), inspired by the company’s Vision Gran Turismo concept. Now, a McLaren dealership in Beverly Hills has pulled the wraps off the final car, painted in an arresting two-tone scheme and showing off all the swoops, wings, and slats we were hoping would come to the final product. See all 10 photos Indeed, this is a McLaren Special Operations commission, initiated by a customer, and the total number built will hit the upper end of the rumored series: 15. The “BC” in the car’s internal model name stands for “bespoke commission,” by the way. However, rumors about the powertrain proved to be slightly off. Rat...
The Mercedes-Benz SL73 AMG and Its Huge V-12 Were Peak ’90s Excess
Mercedes-Benz’s V-12 engine isn’t dead yet despite regulatory predation and increasingly power-dense V-8 engines painting a bleak future. As the lights dim on the big 12, it is now built only by AMG’s technicians and is only available stateside in a single non-AMG model, the Mercedes-Maybach S650. Back in the 1990s, though, Benz’s V-12 was the new thing in town, and graced the priciest, most dignified versions of the S-Class sedan and coupe, as well as the SL convertible. See all 10 photos The 6.0-liter V-12—the same size as the current unit but lacking today’s pair of turbochargers and 2o-plus years of technological advancement—announced itself with a long, airplane-style starter whirring noise, a sophisticated exhaust thrum, and a set of bumper-sticker-sized...
Dodge Daytona vs. Dodge Charger Daytona: What’s in a Name?
The 2020 Dodge Charger Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition is a marketing stab by the folks at FCA that capitalizes on the lunacy that was the original 1969 Daytona. As an homage to the original car, only 501 of these 717-horsepower beasties will be produced, a number that is supposed to mirror the 1969 production numbers. I miss having automotive heroes—those cars and trucks that, after flipping through the pages of the old buff books, would capture my imagination. Back then, I knew every option and engine code on every vehicle from nearly every manufacturer. Yet now, with the deluge of information we get via social media, I don’t commit as much to memory anymore. Today’s automotive culture is changing at a rate that’s faster than any modern-day vehicle. And while some OEMs...
