Author: Sofia
Volvo has revealed early details for revamped single-motor versions of its most affordable EVs, the XC40 Recharge and C40 Recharge crossovers, which have up until now not been offered in the U.S. Both vehicles get some fundamental changes underneath. Up until now they’ve come with front-wheel-drive. Now, by switching that single-motor layout to rear-wheel drive instead, and adopting a new motor, range and efficiency have been boosted by a significant amount. Volvo says that these vehicles mark the first time the brand has offered a rear-wheel-drive variant in 25 years. Revamped 2023 Volvo C40 Recharge (international spec) The new motor,…
It’s a 37-degree January afternoon in Michigan at General Motors’ Milford Proving Ground. The “black lake” sea of asphalt test area wears a sheen of moisture on a day that threatens rain but doesn’t deliver, and yet the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray spins its front and rear tires just for a beat before it hooks up and rockets forward. 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Exhilarating acceleration The shock of a hard launch is my first impression from the passenger seat while Corvette Chassis Development Engineer Bill Wise takes the wheel. The greatest leap the mid-engine C8 Corvette took versus the front-engine…
You could lease a gray Toyota RAV4 like everyone else, but this is a new year, so we’re not going to tackle ordinary SUVs in this month’s lease roundup. We’re here to help you make questionable financial decisions as the world teeters on the brink of a recession. Enter the most exciting and obscure performance SUVs you can lease right now. Most of these SUVs are vehicles we love to drive, even if the next trim down is a much better value. These cars make statements about an owner’s priorities—namely, that spending more money on low-volume, high-performance models is worth…
The last time I reviewed a Land Rover Defender, I commented on how I enjoyed its driving experience despite some very British electrical failings such as the radio going AWOL for half an hour.I expected similar from the two-door version, and to my pleasant surprise, I got the good parts without any real gremlins or bugs. Fast Facts 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 First Edition Fast Facts Powertrain 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged inline-six with mild-hybrid setup with 48-volt electric supercharger and 48-volt starter/generator motor (395 horsepower @ 5,500 RPM, 406 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,000 RPM) Transmission Eight-speed automatic transmission, four-wheel drive Fuel Economy,…
“The Grand Tour,” Amazon Prime’s car show presented by former “Top Gear” hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May, may be coming to an end soon. Citing anonymous sources, Variety reported on Monday that Amazon’s streaming service will cease working with Clarkson beyond what the two parties have already agreed upon. Clarkson also appears in the separate Amazon Prime show “Clarkson’s Farm.” Filming of new episodes for both shows is currently underway, but according to Variety there likely won’t any new episodes of either show beyond 2024, apart from a possible final episode for “The Grand Tour” that may…
Bentley is in the early stages of development for an updated Continental GT. A prototype has been spotted and so far the only changes are to the internals of the lights at both ends. The lights, particularly at the rear, feature more details, similar to what was shown on Bentley’s EXP 100 GT concept unveiled in 2019 as a means to preview the automaker’s next-generation design. The current Continental GT went on sale in 2018 as a 2019 model. Since then multiple variants have been launched, including coach-built specials sharing the Continental GT’s platform. These included 2020’s Bacalar convertible and…
It appears the Lamborghini electrified V-12 supercar set to replace the Aventador has been revealed early. Motor1 has discovered patent drawings filed by Lamborghini last November with the World Intellectual Property Organization, for a supercar that’s likely to be the Aventador successor due out later this year. Information included with the patent lists Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s current design chief, as the designer of the car in the drawings. Many of the details also match elements seen on prototypes for the Aventador successor, such as the heavy cut lines of the hood, the position of the headlights, the lines of the…
Airbus recently announced that it’s planning to design, build, and demonstrate a “megawatt-class propulsion system” intended for a large-scale passenger aircraft, featuring hydrogen fuel-cell tech with cryogenic hydrogen storage, in less than four years. This doesn’t mean that a hydrogen fuel-cell jumbo-airliner is on the way in that timeframe, or that the company sees fuel-cell tech as a complete replacement for jet engines. But it might replace some jet engines on a smaller scale well before the internal-combustion engine is completely banished from cars. The company says it “could be tested in flight by the middle of this decade—around 2026,”…
Dodge briefly considered building a sports car in the early 1950s, but the project only resulted in a single prototype. Today, the 1953 Dodge Storm Z-250 is in the collection of the Petersen Automotive Museum, which recently produced a video on this unique car presented by Leslie Kendall, the museum’s chief historian. Imported European sports car became popular in the U.S. after World War II, leading the Detroit automakers to contemplate homegrown alternatives, including the Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Thunderbird, which launched in 1953 and 1955, respectively, along with some lower-volume models. Chrysler didn’t produce an equivalent, but it did…
Everyone loves a good truck, but that’s only the beginning of their potential. Pickup trucks have long been a staple of American car culture. They’re a symbol of the American way of life, and many of the modifications that you can do to trucks can only be pulled off by trucks. One thing is true, however, nice trucks make some of the best vehicles on the road. If you want to stand out in a truck with major cool factor, luxury trucks are the way to go. They come with a high stance, big wheels, and are the perfect canvas…