Autos
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Maserati’s New Nettuno V-6 Engine Has Clever Tricks Up Its (Cylinder) Sleeves
The Maserati MC20 has been developed without any input from long-time benefactor and engine supplier Ferrari, and its first all-new engine—the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 Nettuno—is quite impressive. Its Formula 1-inspired pre-combustion chamber got all the headlines during the car’s launch last year, but we just had a chance to (virtually) tour the Maserati Engine Lab where MC20 engines will be assembled (on the site where engines were built when the Orsi brothers first moved Maserati from Bologna to Modena) and learned some interesting clarifications and new facts about this historic new engine. Pros and Cons of That 90-Degree Bank Angle Pros of the engine’s 90-degree bank angle cited by chief engineer Matteo Valentini: It provides a good compromise in overall engine w...
The 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited 5.9 Was the Warning Shot for Modern Hellcat Madness
See all 18 photos Big Engine, Old Grand Cherokee To appreciate how goofball the “5.9” was, you must first backtrack and revisit the original “ZJ” Grand Cherokee. In 1998, the Jeep was nearing the end of its first-generation, having been introduced for 1993. Despite its semi-modern window dressing, tidy dimensions, and comfortable interior, the Grand Cherokee was still an SUV in the traditional sense. Its narrow, boxy body teetered high atop a pair of solid axles, and four-wheel-drive models carried beefy low-range transfer cases engaged by a muscular lever between the front seats. The modern, independently sprung, wide-tired, lowered Grand Cherokee SRT this was not. Presaging modern-day Chrysler’s go-to move—shoving supercharged Hellcat V-8 engines into nearly...
2021 Mercedes-AMG E63 S vs. Audi RS6 Avant Comparison Test: A Tale of Two Super Wagons
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Full Overview Case in point: The Audi RS6 starts life at $110,045, and the E63 S Wagon begins at $113,500. Emphasis on begins, as by the time a few option boxes are ticked the total kitty for the Mercedes is $129,120. Not to be outdone, the Audi’s price swelled to $131,645 as tested. Not cheap, not even kinda cheap, though for some, well worth the scratch. We’ll get to why that’s so in a moment. Back to the similarities, both high-performance haulers are wagon variants of their respective brands’ brot und butter midsize sedans. The RS6 is underpinned by the (we suspect) quite fine A6 Avant, whereas the AMG is a hot-rodded version of the (no doubt) excellent E-Class Wagon. Why my uncertainty? For reasons too cynical to breathe air into, neither ...
Ford, VW EV Battery Supplier Forced From U.S. Market?
The battery supplier for Ford and Volkswagen, SK Innovation, will possibly exit the United States market after the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) issued a 10-year exclusion order that prohibits the company from importing its lithium-ion batteries. SK Innovation, however, can import “components for domestic production of lithium-ion batteries and other parts for Ford Motor Co’s EV F-150 program for four years, and for Volkswagen of America’s MEB electric vehicle line for the North America region for two years,” per Reuters. The decision came in response to LG Chem’s accusation that SK Innovation stole electric vehicle battery-related trade secrets from it. While SK Innovation could theoretically maintain a presence here, the company would need to r...
Special 2021 Ram 1500 Diesel Model Dominates F-150 for Top MPG, Ties Chevy
Ram’s attempts to eke out as much fuel efficiency from its full-size 1500 pickup (perhaps as penance for the not-efficient, 702-hp 1500 TRX) continue with the reveal of the rear-drive 1500 HFE EcoDiesel. With a starting price of $43,935, the HFE—or High Fuel Efficiency—Ram EcoDiesel costs $7,795 more than its gas-powered HFE counterpart. See all 17 photos Besides replacing the standard HFE model’s 3.6-liter V-6 engine that makes 305-hp and 269 lb-ft of torque with a turbo-diesel 3.0-liter V-6 that pumps out 260 horses and 480 lb-ft of twist, the HFE EcoDiesel also trades the gas model’s Quad Cab body and 76.3-inch-long bed for the roomier Crew Cab layout, albeit with a stubbier 67.4-inch bed. While the HFE EcoDiesel may not fit as much junk in its cargo box as ...
GM CEO Mary Barra Outlines EV Push, “Admires” Norway
General Motors is planning to spend $27 billion from 2020 to 2025 on electric and autonomous vehicles and technology. This includes launching 30 EVs globally, with two-thirds of these models set to be available in North America. During a call with investors to report fourth-quarter and full-year 2020 earnings, chief executive officer Mary Barra hammered the message home again that GM’s EV push is very real. See all 13 photos If You’re Not First, You’re Last Barra said GM’s success means taking the top spot in EV market share in North America—in other words, kicking Tesla’s butt. By mid-decade, GM aims to sell more than a million electric vehicles per year in North America and China. Success also means GM’s battery-powered vehicles will be as—or more—prof...
Oil-Burning, Not-Diesel Toyota Hilux Goes to 2.4 Hours of LeMullets
The diesel-powered Toyota Hilux is one of the most indestructible vehicles on the planet. This 1974 Hilux that David Newbern is loaning to Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger is not. But the Roadkill crew was invited to participate in Cleetus McFarland’s 2.4 Hours of LeMullets at the Freedom Factory, and they didn’t have a car to drive to Bradenton, Florida, so why not take this small-block-Chevy-swapped mini-truck? David Newbern picked up the brick-red Hilux from the $3k Hooptie Challenge, where it was a capable little truck. It had an LS bolted to a Turbo 350 going to a Ford 8.8 with 3.73s, a spool and slapper bars, but Finnegan and Newbern pulled that engine to put into Newbern’s Attempted Murder Nova for episode 111 when they Zoom-raced Tony Angelo. Since then, Newbern...
Hyundai TIGER X-1 UMV Is the Ultimate Walking, Wheeled Delivery Drone
Hyundai made waves in 2019 with its CES showing of the Elevate concept—an “Ultimate Mobility Vehicle” that featured motorized wheels attached to five-jointed “legs” that enabled it to walk and climb, as well as drive. The best-known walking vehicles in our collective consciousness are those wielded by the evil Empire in the Star Wars movies, so think of this one as a much smaller, nimbler, more agile, friendlier version of an All-Terrain Armored Transport “Walker”—but the “feet” are swapped for electrically powered wheels. Hyundai has continued working on the Elevate concept and recently gave us a progress report. See all 6 photos CRADLE to New Horizons The Elevate UMV (pictured above) was born in Hyundai’s Center for Robotic-Augmented ...
Cylinder-Deactivation Tech Is Coming to Electric Motors (Really!)
This concept, developed by Tula Technologies and which we covered in depth a few years back, intriguingly can be applied to electric motors—which use neither spark plugs nor valves—and could unlock the potential of cheaper, more sustainable rare-earth-free motors. The concept for both DFM and Tula’s new Dynamic Motor Drive is that whenever a powertrain operates at lower overall efficiency (say, eight cylinders doing the work of two while loafing along), you’re better off making two cylinders work harder and giving the rest a break. With two cylinders at wide-open throttle and the rest bouncing along as air springs, the engine needn’t struggle to suck two cylinders’ worth of air past a closed throttle plate, and it also loses less energy to the exhaust and coolant. S...
Ford Bronco Sport’s Accessory Packs Optimize the SUV for Biking, Camping, Boating, and More
A catalog of hundreds of Ford Bronco accessories recently leaked its way onto the internet courtesy of a Bronco enthusiast forum. Now, news of accessory packs for the smaller Bronco Sport has made its way onto the web, too—but this time the announcement comes from Ford itself, all official-like. The five new dealer-installed Bronco Sport accessory packs make heading off the beaten path, storing stuff, or looking cool more convenient. Okay, so the accessories for maximizing storage space and livability aren’t cool in the same sense as, say, stuff designed to bolster the Bronco Sport’s off-road prowess. That said, organization gets some folks going, and these Ford accessories are here for those people. There is the “Bike” accessory pack that’s for, wel...
The Perfect Kia Soul? We Combine the Best Bits from Every Trim Level
Kia Soul Full Overview Kia offers no less than six trims in the Soul lineup, most with their own unique exterior styling themes, and some are bolder than others. After a recent browsing of all the variations on Kia’s build site—spanning the entry-level LX, S, GT-Line, X-Line, EX, and GT Turbo—I started daydreaming about swiping bits and pieces from the other five trims in an attempt to achieve a custom look for the mid-range, straight-shooter Soul EX. Even though I rather like the styling of the Soul EX—and have even suggested it sort of looks like a mini Range Rover—it’s still fun to imagine the Soul I could mold by combining parts from other trims. This is where the mind wanders when there are so few complaints about the Soul, which remains one of our top-ranked subcompact SU...
2023 Ferrari Purosangue: Everything We Know About the SUV
When Will the Ferrari SUV Come Out? The Purosangue, or “thoroughbred” if you will, is due to break cover in the first half of 2022. If auto shows ever make a comeback, the Purosangue will likely make its debut at the Geneva show, which is typically scheduled for the middle of March. There are plenty of spy shots of mules running around Ferrari’s global HQ in Maranello, Italy, as well as in frosty climates for cold-weather testing. We know relatively little about what the Purosangue will look like, but according to a report by the British publication Autocar, the SUV’s design has already been finalized by Ferrari. Mules of the Purosangue that have been captured in spy shots appear to be Maserati Levantes concealing Ferrari running gear. That said, these Pur...
