Autos

We’ll make no bones about it—the 2022 Nissan Ariya is one of the most significant Nissans of the past 25 years, or maybe even longer. This is not to say we’re sure this electric car will be a roaring success, as the very specific market for non-Tesla EV crossovers costing less than $50,000 is still as of yet unproven and rather unpopulated. But forthcoming EVs like the Ariya, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and the VW ID4 will determine if there’s a nascent untapped well of electric-car customers ready to adopt, or if EVs will continue to be toys for upper-class city folk. In reality, we reckon the answer is somewhere in between as these new EV crossovers find moderate—but not wild—success in both the upper and the continually shrinking middle class. That’s what Nissan hopes, ...

Until now, Hyundai Motor Group has focused on fitting electric powertrains into vehicles that were originally built to accommodate internal combustion engines. From the Hyundai Kona Electric to the Kia Niro EV, the automaker has started to achieve some success in this area, in spite of the compromises inherent to the approach. Now, it’s turning the page by introducing its first dedicated platform for battery electric vehicles. The platform will underpin a wide range of new electric models, with the first ones launching next year. Dubbed E-GMP, the platform will underpin the Ioniq 5, a midsize crossover coming in early 2021. It will also be the basis for Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle that will debut sometime next year. The platform will then expand across most vehicle s...

If there’s a vehicle that had us conflicted, it was the previous Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Its brutally entertaining supercharged V-8 thrilled, but the interior was…unimpressive. And that’s a real issue in its segment of big-sticker SUVs with jaw-slacking performance, as such models are now in abundance. The F-Pace SVR had the moves but not the refinement. The 2021 Jaguar F-Pace SVR is here, and the stuff that ain’t broken isn’t fixed, but there’s welcome news inside the luxury SUV. We covered the gist of the massive interior makeover in our First Look at of the non-SVR 2021 F-Pace models—a much more intensive facelift than you’d expect from a typical mid-cycle refresh. Frankly, the Jaguar needed it. It was hard to overlook the cabin’s subpar quality and ...

We called the 2021 Volkswagen ID4 “perhaps the most important car VW has ever launched in the United States” after our first drive. The key to cementing its place in the company’s American history, though, likely comes down to its driving range. Thankfully for Volkswagen, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officially rates the electric SUV to travel 250 miles on a full charge. That sum matches VW’s predictions and ought to quell the range anxiety of most consumers. That said, the ID4’s EPA-rated range figure is less than that of the pricier Tesla Model Y. However, the VW offers slightly more range than the base Ford Mustang Mach-E, which nets an EPA-rated 230 miles of range. The Ford is also slightly more expensive than the entry-level ID4. The ID4...

If you’re an environmentally conscious one-percenter, driving an electric car simply isn’t enough. You need to embrace green living in every aspect of your affluent lifestyle, and that includes your ultra-posh boat. Enter Silent-Yachts, an Austrian manufacturer of premium solar-powered luxury watercraft that has just partnered with Volkswagen Group to incorporate the auto giant’s MEB modular electric drive platform into its next super-yacht. Even though Silent-Yachts will develop the solar electric catamaran based around the MEB electric drive bits, the yacht itself will be designed by Cupra, the performance marque that spun off of Spanish VW Group brand Seat. See all 11 photos The MEB electric platform was designed for electric cars such as the upcoming Volkswagen ID4 SU...

Last year Ferrari unveiled the 488 GT3 Evo, a refined and massaged version of the 488 GT3 racecar that made its debut in 2016. Per FIA rules and regulations, manufacturers are allowed to make an all-new racecar (or an Evo version of their current car) once every three years. So, if it’s not an all-new racecar, what is the 488 GT Modificata you see before you? Simple answer: it’s the newest track-day-only Ferrari. But you probably can’t buy it. The Modificata is meant specifically for Ferrari Club Competizioni GT, a special race series hosted by Ferrari and populated by owners of Ferrari GT racing cars. That means that if you’re rich enough to own a Ferrari racecar or run a racing team that competes with a Ferrari, you can take part in this racing series, too. T...

The whole point is to honor France’s daredevils of the sky. Keep in mind that, while Ettore Bugatti was still running his own car company, air travel was just starting to be explored. French fighter pilots like Adolphe Pégoud and Roland Garros (Google them) were pushing the limits of what could be done in planes during World War I, and French commercial flight was in its infancy. Taking to the skies was no small task in the 1920s and even into the late 1930s. See all 11 photos Only 20 of the special, sky-themed Chirons will be made and they will all be based on the Chiron Sport. The model is painted a matte grey with a gloss white stripe running down the middle, and the grille’s mesh pattern has been reshaped to resemble planes flying in a parade formation. The a...

However, as you might have guessed, they never made it to U.S. shores. Quite frankly, they’re too tiny for the majority of Americans that live by the old saying, “bigger is better”. That doesn’t mean some of us don’t appreciate a good Kei car, truck or van when we see one, which is why we think you’ll be pretty stoked to meet Los Angeles native, Joe Dashtoyan and his 1994 Mitsubishi Bravo Super Exceed. See all 28 photos Most people that drop a lot of money on a right-hand-drive JDM import would invest into something like a Skyline or Silvia. The last thing on their minds would be a Kei car or microvan, right? Joe’s been around Japanese cars all of his life but the moment he laid eyes on this particular Bravo earlier this year, his mind was set. The...