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Mercedes-Benz is working on an update for its V-Class, the premium version of the Metris van sold in the U.S. Prototypes spotted in the wild hint at mild styling tweaks for the mid-size van, which is expected to be launched in updated form in the second half of 2023. The updated V-Class looks to feature revised headlights and a new grille and front fascia combo. The taillights are also expected to receive some slight tweaks, and Mercedes’ latest infotainment system should be used in the cabin. Shots of the interior show a new panel combining screens for a digital instrument…
It seems like only yesterday that Porsche took the wraps off a new 911 Speedster (it was actually in 2019), but a new report claims the next iteration is already being readied for a debut this year. Car Magazine reported last week that a 911 Speedster based on the current 992 generation of Porsche’s sports car icon is set for debut at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show in November, possibly with cameras to help eliminate the car’s typical rear-three-quarter view blind spots. The car would then reportedly go on sale in 2024, likely as the final variant of the…
Audi is considering building its first U.S. plant to take advantage of EV incentives granted through the recent Inflation Reduction Act, Reuters reported last week, citing comments made by the automaker. The IRA, passed last August, offers incentives to firms to manufacture in North America, including a $7,500 tax credit to buyers of EVs made locally. Audi already has a plant in Mexico that builds the Q5 and related Q5 Sportback, but a plant in the U.S. could potentially be built in partnership with Volkswagen which Automobilwoche reported last week is looking to build a U.S. plant to handle production…
We try to understand the Mazda MX-30 EV. Ford looks at heating panels, not air, for EV efficiency. And Nissan held the line on EV projections for the U.S., but it’s delivering some of its new Ariya EVs with electric semis. This and more, here at DriftBreath Reports. Nissan announced Monday that it’s accelerating its shift toward electrified and fully electric models for Europe and Japan, but it’s sticking to previous targets for the U.S. It also on Friday announced plans to use battery electric semis from Kenworth and Nikola to deliver its Ariya EVs from the port to the…
When we got hands on with the Ferrari Purosangue last September, the Italian automaker hinted their newest and unlikeliest toy would be graced with “a starting sticker price of €390,000, or around $400,000.” Ferrari stuck the landing with that one, telling Car and Driver the Purosangue will cost $393,350 before a $5,000 destination charge, which comes to a subtotal of $398,350. We write “subtotal” not because there are the inevitable taxes and fees to be appended, but because that price leaves out a potential gas guzzler tax. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hasn’t concluded its determination about fuel economy, nor…
Historic Italian brand Lancia, today part of the Stellantis fold, has languished for years with just one model, the Ypsilon, a minicar last redesigned in 2011. With the backing of Stellantis, Lancia is developing three electric vehicles as part of a brand revival, including a redesigned Ypsilon, a modern Delta, and a new flagship. In an update on the revival plans provided on Tuesday, Lancia said the redesigned Ypsilon will come in 2024, followed by the flagship in 2026, and the Delta in 2028. Lancia hasn’t provided any specific details on the new models. The Ypsilon will likely be a…
A rare 2018 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf luxury sedan has popped up for sale at the Southern California dealership group O’Gara. First spotted by The Drive, the Taraf has just 178 miles on the odometer and sports Satin Black exterior paint and a Kestrel Tan interior. The $800,000 asking price is not insignificant, but that’s actually about $200,000 less than the $1 million asking price of this limited-edition sedan when new. 2018 Aston Martin Lagonda Taraf (photo via O’Gara) Aston Martin revealed the Lagonda Taraf in 2015 as the first Lagonda since the William Towns-designed wedge of the 1970s and…
Lotus is expanding beyond its traditional sports car domain with new models aimed at mainstream buyers, all of them powered by batteries. The first is the Eletre SUV, which is due in showrooms in 2024. It will be followed by a sedan, rumored to be called an Envya, and we just snapped photos of a prototype. The current 992-generation Porsche 911 will soon be updated to 992.2 status. However, before that happens Porsche might reveal a new 911 Speedster. A report claims the next iteration in the 911 Speedster line will be shown at the 2023 Los Angeles auto show.…
Cadillac is no stranger to international motorsports, even in sports prototype racing, which is typically dominated by European brands outside North America. Cadillac last raced a prototype at the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2002, when it ran a program to highlight the performance of its Northstar V-8. Now it’s set to return to Le Mans with its latest sports prototype, the V-Series.R LMDh. Cadillac on Monday confirmed it will enter three V-Series.R LMDh race cars in the premier Hypercar class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The race cars made their competition debut in January during…
Ford’s Pro Electric Supervan concept is set to tackle the 2023 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, and the Blue Oval has teed up current Pikes Peak record holder Romain Dumas to do the driving. The French racing driver posted a blistering time of 7:57.148 in 2018 behind the wheel of Volkswagen’s ID.R electric time attack special, and while the Supervan isn’t expected to set a new record, it may come close. The concept was unveiled at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a powertrain consisting of four electric motors that together deliver 1,972 hp, more than Rimac’s Nevera hypercar.…