Can The Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Keep Up With The Mustang Shelby GT500?

Posted on Dec 20, 2021Written by admin

It is a well-known fact that electric vehicles and their wealth of instant torque are powerful weapons in drag races. But can Ford’s fastest EV take on its most powerful V8?

Edmunds decided to find out by pitting the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 against the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance. The two performance-focused cars with the Mustang name at the height of modern technology are actually closer on paper than you might imagine.

In Edmunds testing, the Shelby is only 0.1 seconds faster to 60 mph (96 km/h) than the Mach-E, with the former reaching highway speed in 3.7 seconds and the latter in 3.8 seconds.

Since the ICE-powered Mustang Shelby GT500 has to funnel all of its power to the rear wheels, it’s a handful to launch, especially when you’re on an unprepared surface, as the hosts find in this video. That means that the AWD Mustang Mach-E GT Performance actually gets off the line much faster than its competitor.

As others have also discovered, though, what the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance gains off the line, it loses a little farther down the track. Edmunds’ Ryan Zummallen complains that, with only five seconds at full power, the EV tops out much faster than V8-powered Shelby.

As they cross the line in the first race, the GT500 manages to tap into its high-end power and just beat the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance, which leads Zummallen to try and race more tactically.

“You know, I guess getting five seconds of full power only, I guess I could try to game it a little bit, maybe go a little bit lighter right off the line because I’m gonna get a gap either way and then try and hit it,” he said.

This proves not to be wise and in the second race, the GT500 beats the Mustang Mach-E GT handily.

Still, the initial result is an impressive one for the Mach-E, which proves itself to be almost as fast as a Shelby GT500 in a drag race. That’s not a result I would have likely believed without witnessing it, but as is often the case with EVs, seeing is believing.

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Mazda3 And CX-30 Get Mild Updates In Japan Including New Special Editions

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

After the Mazda CX-3 Super Edgy, the automaker announced a series of special trim levels of the Mazda3 and the CX-30 in Japan, alongside small updates on the e-SkyActiv X motor.

Those include tweaking the intake port and exhaust silencer of the gasoline engine to produce a richer sound for spicing up the driving experience during acceleration. Additionally, engineers have updated the gas pedal feel for a greater “sense of unity with the car”. As a refresher, the e-SkyActiv X is a mild-hybrid 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 183 hp (137 kW / 186 PS) and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque.

In terms of the new trim levels, the Smart Edition is available for models equipped with the e-Skyactiv X engine. It brings more comfort and safety equipment including an active driving display, smart brake support, high beam control system, lane keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring.

Meanwhile the Black Tone Edition, which is available for all powertrain variants of both models, is visually differentiated by the black 18-inch aluminum wheels, the gloss-black mirrors, and the red stitching inside the cabin.

The pictured Mazda CX-30 Black Tone Edition is fitted with optional aero components including the bumper and side-sill extensions.

Following the example of the more recent CX-30, all Mazda3 models get a new dimming turn signal which, according to Mazda, gives “a sense of life” in the car. Last but not least, the Platinum Quartz Metallic is a new color option for the Mazda3 and the CX-30, while the Polymetal Gray Metallic is added to the palette of the Mazda3 Sedan.

Orders for the mildly updated Mazda3 and CX-30 are open in Japan as of today, with vehicles arriving in dealerships in late November.

PHOTO GALLERY

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Richard Hammond Drives His Jaguar XK150 For The First Time Since Restoring It

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

Richard Hammond is a very happy man. That’s because, for the first time since the body was taken off the frame, he can now drive his Jaguar XK150.

The car, part of a restoration that has been ongoing throughout the pandemic, was traded for a vintage Lagonda. Hammond reveals in his latest video, though, that when he got it, it was in a rotten state.

“It had been painted rather ugly dark red and underneath that dark red paint lurked, unbeknownst to me, a horror story,” explains Hammond. “It had had a hard, hard life. It had been crashed, bent, brutalized, and abused. And because, like a lot of these cars, it went through a phase of being worth two quid and a packet of crisps, it hadn’t been expensively repaired and restored. It had been bodged and lashed together.”

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Hammond and his team went through the process of painstakingly repairing it, which, since it’s an old Jaguar was hard. Millimetric precision wasn’t reality a priority for early postwar carmakers, not in the U.K., anyway. So, as Hammond puts it, there was as much building as restoration involved in this project.

With a completely rebuilt engine and hotter cam, a new diff, and better brakes the car drives brilliantly now, though. The only question is whether or not the decision to fit a slightly newer, but less precise transmission was a good idea.

To see him driving the car proudly really makes me wish I had a classic Jag of my own to toot around in, as well as some Amazon money kicking around to fund it and its restoration. Ah, to be a rich Brit.

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This Is How The 2023 Chevy Corvette Z06’s N/A V8 Delivers 670 HP

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was unveiled earlier in the week and promises to be unlike any other ‘Vette before it, largely thanks to its engine.

We have known that the C8 Z06 would feature a 5.5-liter naturally-aspirated V8 ever since the Corvette C8.R race car was unveiled with this same basic engine in October 2019. Recent rumors suggested the engine would be tuned to around the 617 hp mark for the Z06, so you can imagine our surprise when the car was announced with no less than 670 hp and 460 lb-ft (623 Nm).

That horsepower figure makes this 5.5-liter flat-plane crank engine the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 ever used by a production car. It also gives the new car a 20 hp advantage over the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 used by the C7 Z06. Just how was Chevy able to extract so much power from this smaller-capacity engine without relying on forced induction?

To show how this was achieved, Engineering Explained has released an intriguing video that details all of the technology packed into this engine.

A key reason why the engine is so powerful is that it revs to 8,600 rpm and achieves peak power at 8,400 rpm, 2,000 rpm higher than the C7’s 6.2-liter V8. The car’s high-revving nature has been achieved through the use of a flat-plane crankshaft and the use of a short stroke.

Chevrolet has also engineered the engine with double-overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It also featured dual valve springs, solid lifts, titanium intake valves, and sodium-filled steel exhaust valves. A complex intake manifold has also been designed with dual throttle bodies, dual plenums, three center valves, and four trumpets on each side.

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The 2022 Range Rover Starts At $104k, Here’s What You Can Get From Bentley, Cadillac, Jeep, Hummer And Mercedes For That Money

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

Land Rover has a brand new halo product in the form of the 2022 Range Rover. But it also has a serious problem on its hands because the luxury SUV market has never been tougher.

The original 1970 Range Rover wasn’t the first luxury SUV, but it went on to dominate the segment for the next 30 years. Today though, the Range Rover is under attack from all sides. Its position as the ultimate luxury SUV has been undermined by even more sumptuous and expensive SUVs from Bentley, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Maybach and Rolls Royce, and there are plenty of other off-roaders reaching up from the class below that are ready to have a pop at the $100k price point where the 2022 starts.

Your $100k buys you an entry-level SWB five-seat Range Rover SE powered by a 395 hp 3.0-liter inline six gas motor. That will get you to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and air suspension, active roll control, and a new 13.1-inch Pivo Pro touchscreen all come as part of the package.

Read: 2022 Range Rover Revealed With With BMW V8, PHEV And EV Coming 2023

Range Rover

› Price range: $104,000 to $200,000 (EST)
› Dimensions: 199″ L (LWB 207″) x 87″ W x 74″ H
› Power: 395-hp to 523-hp

At the other end of the scale you’ll find the $163,500 LWB First Edition equipped with a new BMW-sourced 523-hp 4.4 twin-turbo V8, and for more like $200k, Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations team will sell you a hand-finished SV flagship.

But is the 2022 Range Rover really the best place to sink your luxury SUV budget? Stick around while we take a look at the rivals.

Bentley Bentayga

› Price range: $198,890 to $273,300
› Dimensions: 202″ L x 79″ W x 67″ H
› Power: 443-hp to 626-hp

The Bentley Bentayga’s brash styling won’t suit fans of the classically elegant Range Rover, and vice versa, but it carries even more brand cachet and has been kicking the Land Rover’s ass in the luxury and power stakes for years.

The six-cylinder 443-hp PHEV and 542-hp V8 broadly line up with Range Rover’s offerings, but only the Bentayga offers a 626-hp 6.0-liter W12 that can hit 60 mph in less than 4 seconds. The Porsche Cayenne and Lamborghini Urus that share the Bentayga’s platform will lap a track more quickly, but they also top out at eight cylinders.

BMW X7

› Price range: $74,900 to $141,300
› Dimensions: 203″ L x 79″ W x 71″ H
› Power: 335-hp to 612-hp

The blue and white propeller is probably considered blue-collar by Range Rover’s marketing team, as are Audi’s Q7 and Q8 SUVs. But the $99,800 BMW X7 M50i is powered by the same 523-hp twin-turbo V8 that’ll cost you an extra $20k in the Brit SUV.

Interestingly, the Range Rover is a tenth quicker to 60 mph (4.4 seconds) than the M50i, but the X7 has an ace up its sleeve in the form of the 612-hp Alpina XB7 that’ll do the job in four dead.

Cadillac Escalade

› Price range: $76,295 to $111,255
› Dimensions: 212″ L (227″ L ESV) x 81″ W x 77″ H
› Power: 277-hp to 420-hp

The Cadillac Escalade was refreshed for 2021 and these days it features independent rear suspension, but it’s still an old fashioned body-on-frame SUV at heart.

Range Rover buyers might sneer at the Chevy Tahoe DNA, but the Cadillac isn’t short on luxury and tech features, including Super-Cruise semi-autonomous adaptive cruise control (when the chips are back in stock, at least) and a 38-inch triple screen gauge pack and infotainment screen combo.

And in extra-long ESV spec you’ll not want for space. Pace, though? That’s a different story. Don’t expect the 420-hp 6.2-liter V8 or gentle handling (all-wheel drive is optional) to come close to matching the Range Rover’s on-road performance, though the upcoming Blackwing-powered Escalade V might change things. Oh, there’s also a 277-hp 3.0-liter turbo diesel available too.

GMC Hummer EV SUV

› Price range: $79,995 to $105,595
› Dimensions: 197″ L x 87″ W x 81″ H
› Power: 625-hp to 830-hp

Thinking of hanging on for the 2024 Range Rover EV? Then you might want to consider the Thanos of SUVs, the reborn Hummer EV. The Edition 1 cars arriving in early 2023 are all sold out, but GMC will roll out the rest of the range over a 12-month period from spring of that year.

Triple motor versions will torture their crab-walking wheels with up to 830 hp and a scarcely believable 11,500 lb-ft of torque to send this monster truck made real to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. But fractionally more sensible dual-motor Hummers with 625 hp and up to 300 miles of range will likely be more than adequate for most buyers.

Jeep Grand Wagoneer

› Price range: $88,440 to $104,845
› Dimensions: 215″ L x 84″ W x 76″ H
› Power: 471-hp

History buffs will tell you the original Jeep Wagoneers were doing the luxury SUV thing long before the Range Rover was around, and after a 30-year layoff they’re back.

Both the regular Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer share the same wheelbase, body design and seven-seat layout, but the Grand has more engine (a 471-hp 6.4 V8 instead of a 392-hp 5.7), more screens, and will cost you $30,000 more of you money. As far as we’re concerned, luxury American SUVs don’t get more desirable than this.

Lexus LX

› Price range: $90,000-$100,000 (EST)
› Dimensions: N/A
› Power: 409-hp

Toyota’s Land Cruiser isn’t coming to the U.S., but it’s upscale Lexus LX cousin is, and that badge makes it a much better match for the Range Rover when it comes to car park kudos.

It should be a good match in the dirt too, thanks to its new TNGA body-on-frame platform that helps reduce weight by 441 lbs (200 kg) versus last year’s model, and a huge list of gadgets that includes Toyota’s famous Crawl Control system.

You’ll have to settle for six cylinders, but since the new 409 hp twin-turbo 3.5 V6 makes 26 hp and 76 lb-ft (479 lb-ft) more than the old 5.7 V8, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Lincoln Navigator

› Price range: $78,865 to $105,570
› Dimensions: 210″ L x 80″ W x 76″ H
› Power: 440-hp

If you want to shop at a Lincoln dealer these days, you buy an SUV or go home empty handed. And the biggest and baddest of those SUVs is the Lincoln Navigator. Just as Caddy’s Escalade shares DNA with the Chevy Tahoe, so the Navigator can trace its roots to the Ford Expedition, but you’d never guess looking at the 13.2-inch touchscreen, or the beautiful open-pore wood featured on the more expensive trim levels.

The nearest this 440-hp whale gets to sporty is when hauling your hockey team around in its huge three-row cabin, so let the semi-autonomous Active Glide system take the strain, and the wheel, and do the navigating for you.

Mercedes-Benz GLS & Maybach GLS

› Price range: $77,050 to $161,500
› Dimensions: 205″ L x 77″ W (Maybach 80″) x 72″ H
› Power: 362-hp to 603-hp

You can get into a basic Mercedes GLS 450 for less than $80k, or a V8-powered GLS580 for around the same $104,000 that’d net you a six-cylinder Range Rover, but neither has the same cachet.

You might argue that the $132,100 Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 gets a little closer on curb appeal, and at 4.1-seconds to 60mph will put distance between itself and the Range Rover at the lights. But if you really want a GLS that’ll turn heads (and, potentially, stomachs), and are prepared to sacrifice some of the AMG’s pace for even more luxury, the $161,500 Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 is the one you want.

Rolls Royce Cullinan

› Price range: $384,750 to $455,725
› Dimensions: 210″ L x 85″ W x 72″ H
› Power: 563-hp

The Bugatti of SUVs, at least until Bugatti gets around to making one of its own, the Rolls Royce Cullinan is so outrageously expensive you could buy four Range Rovers for the price of one Black Label.

But none of those Range Rovers would come with a 592-hp, 6.7-liter twin-turbo V12 or a grille that looks like someone stole a gravestone from outside a Victorian church and had it chrome plated. There are luxury SUVs, and then there’s the Rolls Royce Cullinan.

Has Land Rover done enough to put the 2022 Range Rover ahead of these rivals? Let us know which luxury SUV you’d buy, and why.

Time To Vote For Your Favorite Large Luxury SUV

So all said and done, if you had the dough, which one would be your pick to park in your driveway?

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Mary Barra Says GM Can Catch Tesla In EV Sales By 2025

Posted on Oct 28, 2021Written by admin

General Motors chief executive Mary Barra says the car manufacturer can catch Tesla in U.S. sales of electric vehicles by 2025.

GM intends on launching no less than 30 electric vehicles by 2025 and while recently speaking during CNBC’s Squawk Box, Barra expressed confidence in her belief that the company will establish itself as the EV leader.

“I am very comfortable, because when people get into these vehicles, they are just wowed,” she said. “So we will be rolling them out and we’re going to just keep working until we have No. 1 market share in EVs.”

Tesla currently dominates the electric vehicle space in the United States. In fact, the automaker accounted for 79 percent of all EVs sold in the U.S. throughout 2020. However, research and forecasting company HIS Markit says Tesla’s U.S. share of EV sales will drop to 56 percent throughout 2021 and fall to approximately 20 percent in 2025.

Speaking with CNBC, LMC Automotive added that sales of EVs, including plug-in hybrids, will account for less than 4 percent of vehicle sales across the country this year. The research firm suggests that EVs will make up 34.2 percent of new U.S. vehicle sales by 2030, with 4.1 percent of those sales being for plug-in hybrids.

A key pillar in GM’s EV expansion goals is their plans to install up to 40,000 Level 2 EV chargers across the United States and Canada as part of a $750 million investment.

For GREAT deals on a new or used Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep or RAM check out LA CDJR TODAY!

New Mazda MX-5 990S Edition Is A Pure, No-Frills Sports Car That Weighs Just 990 KG But It’s Only For Japan

Posted on Oct 27, 2021Written by admin

Long heralded as the ultimate drivers car, one of the Mazda MX-5 Miata’s greatest advantages has always been its low weight. Japanese customers are set to get even lower weight thanks to the newly unveiled 990S trim.

The new edition is named after the weight of the vehicle, which Car Watch reports has been reduced to an NA Miata-rivaling 990 kg (2,182 lbs). The model rivals the original Miata in simplicity, too, having had nearly every frill removed.

Mazda achieved the weight reductions in a number of ways, including ridding the car of sound deadening and by ligthening the hood. It also gets lightweight wheels that remove 3.2 kg (7 lbs) and Brembo brakes that help remove 700 g (1.5 lbs) despite being bigger at the front.

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Although that less than 10 lbs of weight savings between the wheels and brakes may not sound like an astounding amount, Mazda‘s engineers say that 1 kg (2.2 lbs) of unsprung mass is the equivalent of 10 kg (22 lbs) of sprung mass when it comes to cars.

To alert passersby to the lightweighting efforts of its engineers, Mazda has opted to swap the red brake calipers for black ones with blue “Brembo” script. The blue theme follows on the A/C vents and the soft top fabric.

It’s not all stripping, though, Mazda has added a new feature that might scare some purists, but excite engineers. Vehicle Attitude Stabilization Control is a new handling technology designed to control lean in corners.

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The car does this by applying a minimal amount of brake pressure to the rear inner wheel when the it senses more than 0.3 G of cornering forces. It works to suppress wheel lift up and keep the vehicle flatter through the corners. Whether or not drivers will like it remains to be seen, but Mazda worked to ensure that drivers felt no discomfort while using the system that replicates the experiences of using an electronically controlled suspension. It can be turned off by turning off DSC.

Based on the least powerful version of the car, the 990S gets the 130 hp (132 PS/97 kW) 1.5-liter engine with the open differential. Since the bigger 2.0-liter engine requires heavier duty parts to deal with the extra power, it won’t be offered with the lightweight package. But according to Shigeki Saito, the development chief for the 990S, that’s not a problem.

“Horsepower and fun are not proportional, but lightness and fun are proportional,” he told Car Watch (as translated by Google). “The lighter the car, the more fun it is. If you enjoy driving, I think this roadster is the best right now.”

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Slammed 2021 Cadillac Escalade Required Much More Than A Set Of Lowering Springs

Posted on Oct 23, 2021Written by admin

It is quite a common sight to see modified Cadillac Escalades roaming the streets in the States. However, this is the first heavily-modified 2021 Escalade that we’ve come across.

The latest-generation Escalade is one of the most luxurious SUVs currently on the market with a price tag that can exceed $100,000 for a flagship model. Evidently, the Escalade’s value didn’t dissuade the owner of this example from equipping it with a host of modifications.

This example is owned by a guy named Jake McKiddie who was recently interviewed for the Ridiculous Rides series on the Barcroft Cars YouTube channel. It may simply look like a lowered Escalade but much more work has gone into it than fitting a set of lowering springs.

Images from the build show that the chassis was completely removed from the SUV and totally rebuilt. It has also been equipped with 30×9 front and 30×11-inch rear wheels and an air suspension system that means it can be dropped so low that both the front and rear bumpers actually hit the ground. A set of enlarged Wilwood brakes have also been installed to better complement the massive 30-inch wheels.

Significant changes had to be made to the SUV’s interior to make this all work. In fact, a large chunk of the trunk is now taken up by the pronounced wheel wells, dramatically reducing cargo space. However, from the second row forwards, the interior of this Escalade is relatively stock.

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The Toyota GR Yaris Is Almost Like A Modern-Day Lancia Delta Integrale

Posted on Oct 15, 2021Written by admin

The Toyota GR Yaris is one of the most talked-about hot hatches to launch in the last decade and Doug DeMuro recently had the opportunity to test it out.

Sadly, the GR Yaris is not sold in the United States so the example featured in this review is actually a Mexican model that the owner drove up to California for DeMuro to drive.

If you’re like us, you’re probably quite familiar with the story about why the GR Yaris came into existence, as well as its overt exterior design and relatively simplistic interior. The real action from this review starts at the 17:30 mark when DeMuro heads out onto the road and actually starts to drive it.

Powering the GR Yaris is a 1.6-liter turbocharged three-cylinder that musters up an impressive 257 hp and 266 lb-ft (360 Nm) of torque. However, in some markets, including Japan and Australia, the engine is tuned to 268 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm). Either way, it is fast and DeMuro is immediately blown away by the performance of the car.

The veteran reviewer is so impressed with the performance of the engine that he says it almost feels like a six-cylinder. He is also very fond of the action of the clutch pedal and the shifter of the six-speed manual transmission. He also notes that there is very little body roll when throwing the GR Yaris through corners and says that it has some of the same feel as the iconic Lancia Delta Integrale Evolution.

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Audi’s 1980 Quattro An AWD Pioneer? This Jensen FF Be Like “Hold My Brandy”

Posted on Oct 13, 2021Written by admin

Audi’s 1980 Quattro coupe changed the course of road- and rally car history, no doubt about it. Within four years every top-tier WRC had switched to all-wheel drive, and more than four decades later most high performance cars available off the showroom floor still follow the Quattro’s template of turbocharged power and all-wheel drive traction.

But the Quattro wasn’t the first high performance all-wheel drive coupe. Fourteen years before the Audi burst onto the scene, fans of British sports car brand Jensen were already discovering the benefits of divvying up a big wedge of torque between four wheels, rather than just two.

The car in question was the 1966 Jensen FF, those two letters standing for Ferguson Formula, Ferguson Research being the people behind the all-wheel drive system. If you’ve not heard of the FF but think this big GT looks strangely familiar, you’re probably thinking of its more famous Jensen Interceptor brother.

The two share plenty, including big-block Chrysler V8 power, a 727 Torqueflite auto, that huge goldfish-bowl rear window and the fact that they were hideously expensive when new, costing even more than an Aston Martin DB6.

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But the FF’s wheelbase was stretched by half a foot to accommodate the all-wheel drive hardware (you can tell it from an Interceptor by the second vent behind the front wheel) that sent 37 percent of the V8s torque to the front wheels. The FF even had an early form of mechanical anti-lock braking.

Unfortunately, its high price and packaging problems stymieing left-hand drive production killed it off in 1971, leaving the rear-drive Interceptor to carry on alone for five more years. And while the FF was praised by reviewers when new, the idea of a high performance all-wheel drive coupe lay dormant for most of the following decade.

The slice of all-wheel drive history pictured here is coming up for sale in November through Silverstone Auctions. It’s a 1971 car that has been dry stored since receiving a detailed restoration in 2004 and is claimed to be in excellent condition. You’d hope as much given that it’s likely to sell for upwards of $180,000 (£130,000), though that’s less than half what you’d pay to get into an Aston DB6.