Autos
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Volkswagen’s Diesel V-8 Chugs Into That Engine Graveyard in the Sky
Whether or not you believe Volkswagen has cleaned up its act in the wake of its diesel emissions cheating scandal, the company still sells diesel-powered cars in markets all across the world. In fact, the company has said 27 percent of all Volkswagens sold in 2018 ran on gasoline’s unrefined counterpart. It is therefore safe to say VW still cares about its diesels, and now the automaker must mourn the death of one of those—its mighty diesel V-8. That makes this limited-edition Touareg SUV—the last to get the oil-burner V-8—a sort of hearse, right? <!– –> You remember the Touareg, don’t you? VW hasn’t sold the Touareg in the U.S. since 2016, when it was replaced by the Atlas, but the nameplate lives on elsewhere and is the brand’s most expensive, mo...
Jeep Drops First Teaser for New Grand Wagoneer (or New Grand Cherokee)
Jeep is working on something grand. Well, that’s the implication made in this teaser image by the off-road-oriented brand, which includes a picture of the Grand Canyon, a definition of the word “grand” (“magnificent and striking in appearance, size, or style”), and the copy “coming soon.” Given the Grand Canyon is millions of years old, we don’t think the geographic feature is the forthcoming thing that Jeep is teasing. More likely, the brand is previewing its forthcoming Grand Wagoneer full-size SUV, which may emerge as the largest model Jeep offers in its showrooms. Then again, the mid-size Grand Cherokee is slated for a redesign soon, too, and it’s possible this ad teases that model instead. Or maybe it’s neither the Grand Wagoneer nor the Grand Cherokee that Jeep’s alluding to in this...
2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S First Drive: Dilettante or Masterpiece?
Close your eyes and concentrate on the word “targa.” What does your mind’s eye see? Something with a Porsche badge on the hood, I’m guessing. For me—probably because I own a $500 one—my brain locks onto the Porsche 914. However, I’d guess that for most car-lovers out there, an old (though still lovely) Porsche 911 Targa leaps to mind. Maybe even a soft-window one from 1967. Point is, you think Porsche, even though (almost) every Corvette coupe since 1984 sports a targa roof. Out of the dozens of targa-roofed cars (targa just means a roof panel that pops off while the B-pillars stay put) that have been built—we’re talking everything from the Suzuki Cappuccino to the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse—Porsche was lucky and/or smart enough to copyright the word “Targa” back in 1965. Ironicall...
Troubled Faraday Future Auctions off Pikes Peak Prototype
Electric car manufacturer Faraday Future seemed to have a future. That vision has been crumbling for years, and it’s been one troubling sign after another. The latest indication that things are going badly has a silver lining, however. Instead of creditors getting stiffed or executives jumping ship, this bit of news includes an actual car you can buy. In fact, this FF 91 prototype is—as far as we can tell—the first, and so far only, Faraday Future vehicle to go up for sale. Buying it won’t save the company, but at least you’ll be able to hold a tangible product produced by a company that otherwise just seems to be burning cash. And this is no ordinary FF 91 prototype. It’s the car that ran up Pikes Peak in 2017 in a claimed record time, although it wasn’t a production car—and, frankly, sti...
Maserati Expands Trofeo Performance Treatment to 2021 Ghibli, Quattroporte
Maserati is doubling down on the performance of its sedans. “Trofeo” has been a byword for the fastest and most powerful version of Maserati’s Levante SUV for a while now, but the Italian brand is finally bestowing the Trofeo badge on both the 2021 Ghibli and the 2021 Quattroporte sedans. While the Levante Trofeo remains unchanged, the Trofeo upgrades to the two sedans are extensive, and both now boast top speeds of 203 mph, making them the fastest production sedans Maserati has ever made. That incredible top speed comes as a result of what’s under the new Trofeo models’ hoods: A Ferrari-built, twin-turbo 3.8-liter V-8 cranking out 580 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque. A version of this engine made an appearance in the now-dead Quattroporte GTS, but the Trof...
2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic Cabriolet First Drive
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic Cabriolet isn’t scheduled to arrive in America until later this year, but it already looks like a future classic. Sources in Stuttgart have confirmed what Mercedes-Benz USA CEO Nicholas Speeks told American dealers in June: The convertible E-Class will be axed in the next three or four years—along with its coupe cousin and two-door versions of the S- and C-Class—as Daimler moves to trim its current 45-model lineup. The beancounters have looked at the sales trends and concluded the world has fallen out of love with sedan-based convertibles. The Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic Cabriolet shares its 362-hp, 369-lb-ft mild hybrid I-6 powertrain, nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel-drive system with the 2021 E 450 4Matic sedan. It also shares the new, ...
2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic Sedan First Drive
There’s something wonderfully calming about driving the 2021 Mercedes-Benz E 450 4Matic sedan. The world outside might be going to hell in a handbasket, but here, in the cabin of the car that in many ways still defines the Mercedes-Benz brand, is a continuity that soothes the soul. Sure, there’s way more visual bling than there used to be—the engineers that created the Bauhausian W124 E-Class in the 1980s would be aghast at the glittery decoration adorning its 21st century successor, inside and out. But they would recognize the effortless competence of its powertrain, the studied confidence of its chassis, and the quiet efficiency with which its technology lends the driver a helping hand. The E 450 4Matic is top dog in a four-model lineup of the face-lifted W213 E-Class Mercedes-Benz sched...
2021 Aston Martin DBX First Drive: A True All-Weather Gran Turismo
The 2021 Aston Martin DBX is the first SUV in the storied British automaker’s 107-year history. Daimler supplied the engine, the transmission, and the electrical architecture, but the rest of the DBX—the all-aluminum body structure, the anti-roll air suspension, the roomy and practical interior—has all been engineered and executed in-house. Now here’s the thing: This off-road Aston isn’t just a great first-time effort for an automaker that’s never designed and developed an SUV before. It’s great, period. The Aston Martin DBX sets a new benchmark for luxury performance SUVs right out of the box. Range Rover, Porsche, Bentley, even Lamborghini: You’re on notice. This $192,986 Aston Martin SUV delivers a bewitching blend of performance, luxury, capability, and sheer driving enjoyment. How Fas...
Hyundai Bringing Rad EV Concept Cars to Life for New Electric-Car Brand
In the increasingly competitive green-car space, the Hyundai Ioniq lineup hasn’t gained much traction. Many consumers haven’t even heard of the trio—it offers hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric powertrains—of Ioniq hatchbacks currently available, and the EV variant isn’t at all competitive when it comes to range. Now Hyundai is seeking to changing the narrative by turning Ioniq into its own EV brand. Under the new label, the automaker will launch three electric vehicles in the next four years: a midsize crossover, a sedan, and a large SUV. The midsize crossover, dubbed Ioniq 5, arrives in early 2021 with what promises to be a compelling exterior design. It will be based on the super-cool 45 concept Hyundai debuted at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. This concept car featured sleek fa...
2021 Bentley Bentayga Speed Is Nigh, Will Stack Horsepower 627 High
We’ve already seen the facelifted 2021 Bentley Bentayga, and the new look takes an SUV that’s no stranger to aesthetic controversy and gives it a lower, more planted mien. Only the roof and door skins were untouched, which makes for a more effective overhaul, but the outrageous Speed version might bring the most substantive reinvention. Powered by the Volkswagen Group’s fascinating and power-dense W-12 engine, we now have our first, semi-disguised look at the speedy SUV in its updated duds. These aren’t spy shots; they come to us from Bentley itself. Think of them more as a few promotional shots to build buzz ahead of a full reveal we expect next week. But we’ve already heard a bit about what to expect from this 12-cylinder bruiser. For one, the Speed will be the only way to get a W-...
Could the Next BMW M5 Be an 1,000-HP Electric Super Sedan?
BMW just took the wraps off the refreshed 2021 M5, but rumors are already swirling about what the next one will be powered by. BMW’s future, whether we like it or not, is going to be electric, and the company recently confirmed all-electric versions of the next 7-series and 5-series. But what about the king-of-the-hill M5? Unlike the normal 5-series, the M5 has never been powered by anything but a classic internal combustion engine—heck, the current M5 isn’t even hybridized. A recent report form Car Magazine, however, suggests that the next M5 may leapfrog hybridization altogether for an even more electrified state. <!– –> Car says the 2024 BMW M5 will be all-electric. BMW is alleged to already be testing what it calls a “powerBEV,” using a 5-serie...
The MotorTrend App’s Summer Deal Is Too Hot to Handle
For less than the cost of an extra-large supreme pizza you would have bought at the local pizzeria that’s now delivery-only, you can subscribe to the MotorTrend App for an entire year and stream 3,200+ hours of the best in automotive entertainment, including HOT ROD Garage, Wheeler Dealers, and 25+ seasons of Top Gear. Get this offer now! Sign up to the MotorTrend App for just $2 per month! If that’s not enough, crank up the A/C and check out the entire Roadkill Universe: Roadkill, Roadkill Garage, Engine Masters, Faster With Finnegan, and Roadkill’s Junkyard Gold. And coming soon—drumroll please—the brand-new season of Top Gear America, featuring Dax Shepard, Rob Corddry, and Jethro Bovingdon. Who said you need to go stir crazy during quarantine this summer? You can tota...
