Why settle for Mothra when you can have Godzilla? Mothra, the fictional Godzilla monster’s nemesis, in this case is the typical high-performance SUV that filmmakers often use as camera cars. In the movies, Mothra lost out to Godzilla—and it’s happened all over again: Nissan skipped the usual Porsche Cayenne-based camera rig for a GT-R, its
Month: February 2020
When we first saw the Canoo EV prototype in 2019, the car you can’t actually buy, it was hard not to dismiss it as just another transportation pod from an unknown automotive startup. Recently, we had the chance to ask Tesla co-founder Elon Musk for his thoughts on the newest player in the electric space. His response
If you’ve been thinking about buying that shiny new truck you’ve been dreaming about forever, then you might want to seriously think about finally making 2020 the year. Buyers can choose from a host of recently updated pickups, including a slate of Ram, Chevy, and Ford models in addition to offerings from Nissan and Toyota.
They start work on the tracks as winter comes and the ground starts to freeze, layering ice through twists and turns and humps and hollows. The surface glistens now in the watery Arctic sunlight, a hard refrigerator whiteness under a sugary dusting of fresh snow. The naturally aspirated flat-six engine at my backside idles hungrily
When the 2021 Genesis GV80 made its debut last month, we were impressed by how close the SUV stayed to the concept’s design and how the automaker created an interior that’s so different from the competition. Yet it still screams luxury from every angle. Genesis is not taking cues from the Europeans; the new GV80
Much to the chagrin of Porsche 911 fans, the Chevrolet Bolt took the crown in our 2017 Car of the Year competition. To beat a nearly perfect car, the Bolt had to be nothing short of a game-changer, which it turns out, it was. We credited the Bolt for making electric transport for the masses
The flax is used in a natural fiber composite solution from Bcomp, which Polestar says differs from some bio-materials because it doesn’t directly compete with food crops. (Indeed, with global food supplies racing toward being outstripped by populations, it’s not a bad idea to try sourcing car interiors and edible stuff separately.) Polestar says this
Behind the helmet and off the track – see what it takes to be legendary. NASCAR All In: Battle for Daytona is streaming NOW only on the MotorTrend App!
Audi previously announced pricing for the six-cylinder versions of its lightly updated-for-2020 Q7 crossover, and we only needed to wait a little while for the rest—meaning the entry-level four-cylinder’s price. As you’d expect, the four-pot Q7 costs less than the one with the upgraded turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6, which starts at $61,795. How much less? Pricing
The electrified pickup-truck space technically doesn’t even exist yet, and already it’s passed up niche status for full-on, high-stakes warzone billing. Companies like Tesla, Rivian, Bollinger, and Hummer have all promised to bring out new trucks imminently—although none are for sale yet—and now they’re joined by a new would-be, not-yet-real competitor, the Nikola Badger. Unlike the other
The Detroit auto show is moving from January to summer starting this year, but over in Chicago, the Windy City’s show remains in its traditional February slot. The Chicago show, as is typical, was full of new truck and SUV debuts this year—but there were some interesting cars in display, too, including Hyundai’s super-efficient new
We recently surmised that Toyota will use this weekend’s Daytona 500 as the location for the announcement that the four-cylinder Toyota Supra will be making its way to the U.S. market. The engine has been certified for sale in California, and likely the rest of the country, too, which makes it ready for primetime. Now
Does America need another automotive brand? Duke Hale seems to think so, and his company, HAAH Automotive Holdings, will soon sell vehicles under the Vantas brand in the United States and Canada. We suppose that name is better than the parent company’s “HAAHAH” acronym. This entirely serious endeavor will kick off with a crossover derived from
Sales of manual-transmission cars downshifted once again in 2019, dropping to just 1.1 percent of all new-vehicle sales in the U.S. For an idea of just how lowly that share of the market is, electric vehicles grabbed 1.6 percent, equating to about 270,000 sales. Those figures were highlighted at Green Car Reports, which sourced its
While this year will see the launch of more all-electric powered commuter cars than ever before, that doesn’t mean exotic cars designed to draw eyes and drop jaws are going away anytime soon. In fact, it seems like there are now more than ever before. Not to mention that just a short few years ago
San Francisco-based artist Jay Nelson answered a question seemingly no one was asking by adding a pop-top camper to the bed of a 1982 Subaru Brat. The small camper integrates gracefully with the compact pickups flowing bedsides and includes sleeping space for three, as well as a built-in wood-burning stove for cooking or staying warm.
The 2021 Ford Bronco in any form is likely going to be an exciting thing to drive on muddy or rocky trails, but no question the smaller two-door model will be the best billy goat of the bunch. At long last, we’ve managed to snag photos of the new two-door Bronco testing, covered in camouflage;
We all know the new Toyota Supra. Few questions remain about its performance, how it came to be, and who builds it (BMW). There is, however, one nagging piece of the Supra puzzle that remains incomplete, and that’s the confirmation of the Supra coming with something other than a straight-six engine. The four-cylinder Supra already exists
The 2020 Mercedes-Benz Metris Weekender camper van will cost approximately $70,000 when it goes on sale in the spring, according to multiple sources at Mercedes. That’s a good deal more than the $36,775 starting sum Mercedes charges for the run-of-the-mill five-passenger Metris. Nevertheless, we can’t say we’re surprised by the model’s reported price. After all,
Finally, consumers looking for an AWD minivan will have a second option beyond the Toyota Sienna. The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica, which goes on sale later this year, adds an all-wheel-drive option in a bid to lure snow state buyers with extra all-weather traction. Fortunately, for the first time in a Chrysler minivan selecting all-wheel-drive does
Ford shook things up this morning with news of the appointment of Jim Farley as chief executive officer, and Hau Thai-Tang is his go-to guy to develop and launch products. It is the biggest launch year in Ford history, and key vehicles such as the revived Ford Bronco, a baby Bronco slotted below it, a
Toyota Racing Development, or TRD, has been Toyota’s dominant performance brand in the States for over 40 years. It started out as an engine builder for Toyota’s racing efforts, and today it is probably best known for the TRD-branded Tacoma, 4Runner, and Tacoma off-road variants—and, more recently, the sportier TRD versions of the Camry and Avalon.
The Chicago Auto Show might not rise to the same dazzling prominence on the annual auto-show calendar as, say, the events held in Geneva or Los Angeles, but it’s a critical display of fresh sheetmetal nonetheless. That’s because during the show’s two-week run this February, a huge number of people—millions—will visit McCormick Place on the south
Don’t expect a pickup from Volkswagen in the U.S. any time soon. If and when the time comes, however, it makes more sense to make it an electric truck, said Johan de Nysschen, chief operating officer of VW of America. There are no plans for a pickup for North America in the short term. “It
In a surprise move, Ford’s automotive chief Joe Hinrichs will retire after 19 years with the company, leaving Jim Farley, who currently oversees Ford’s mobility projects, as the heir apparent to lead the Dearborn-based automaker. Farley will take on the new position of chief operating officer. The tenure of current CEO Jim Hackett has always
Sport limousine. It sounds a complete contradiction in terms: a car that’s big and fast and luxurious, yet also punchy and nimble and fun to drive. But Porsche’s Panamera GTS squares that circle. It gives you all the luxury you’d expect from the company’s flagship four-door, along with a sporty drive experience that, on a
As a cyclist, my bike might be my most prized possession. When I’m out on the trail all of life’s concerns fade away, but driving there with my bike is super stressful. Why? I’m in constant fear of a mishap that could leave my two-wheeled whip damaged—or worse. If I’m using a hitch-mount rack, I’m
Watch the full episodes of 2019’s Super Street Week to Wicked build here! We’re taking this 2013 Subaru BRZ and giving it upgrades across the board.
Two months after first catching wind of Jaguar’s heavy refresh of its 2021 F-Type sports car, we finally know how much all that newness is going to cost. And good news! In spite of the significant changes, the F-Type’s base price hasn’t gone up a single penny over last year’s model. You will once again
It’s been just three years since the Volkswagen Atlas burst onto the full-figured three-row crossover SUV scene, but it’s getting a thorough face-lift anyway. VW claims this is the first instance of its new policy of shortening its standard four-year renewal cadence, but this rhinoplasty isn’t purely in service of vanity. It also brings pedestrian-protection