The earliest Ford Mustangs are considered 1964.5 models, since they went on sale in April 1964 at the same time the car debuted. One was famously sold a couple of days before the official reveal, but it didn't have anywhere near the horsepower of the pony car featured here. That's because it has a detuned Ford GT40 engine under the hood, installed so it could pace the field at the 1964 Indianapolis 500.

This isn't one of the few Mustang pace car replicas built back in the day. It's the actual car used on the track at Indy. Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford recently took the special 'Stang to Jay Leno's Garage, where he shared the story of how this early-production Mustang came to life.

"Pretty much everything in this car was modified for Indy," Ford tells Leno in the video. "The regular Mustang just couldn't get up to the speed required, which was 140 mph. That's what you had to do in those days to have a pace car."

So with barely a month to go before race day, three 1964.5 Mustangs were picked and sent to Holman-Moody in North Carolina for modification. The stock 164-horsepower, 260 cubic-inch V-8 was replaced with a detuned version of the early Ford GT40's 289 cubic-inch engine. According to Ford, power went up to 450 horses, while a modified manual transmission was bolted in to handle it all.

Looking at the car, it doesn't appear any different than other early Mustang convertibles, right down to the wheels. When Leno starts it up, however, it clearly has that old GT40 rumble. As per usual, he takes the car for a drive with Ford in the passenger seat, but they don't cruise the streets of California. At least not right away—we're treated to several laps around an active airport before the duo venture into the public. Perhaps Mr. Ford was a bit nervous taking a priceless Mustang Pace Car into SoCal traffic. Of the original three, this is the only one that still exists.

In any case, we're glad the video cameras were along for the ride. Kick back, turn up the volume, and enjoy the dulcet tones of an iconic car with a very cool engine.

More Retro Mustangs:

Source: Jay Leno's Garage / YouTube

It doesn't get cooler than this: a McLaren with Honda power and Senna provenance. Oh, and a Monaco win.

If that doesn't conjure visions of the MP4/7 arrowing precisely through Monaco's tangled corners while a pissed-wasp Williams harries it, please go and have a look at some video. (And here's some footage of Senna qualifying at Monaco a couple years beforehand, because... why not?)

The 1992 race from the first clip was voted by F1 fans as the greatest Monaco victory of all time, a staggering achievement for both Senna and McLaren when pitted against Nigel Mansell's all-conquering Williams of that same year.

Most of the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix was a procession. Mansell jumped out to a commanding lead, then lost it all back (including the race lead) due to a puncture. The final three laps were breathtaking, showing Mansell's ability to exploit every ounce of pace from his game-breaking Williams, and for all of Senna's at-the-limit grandeur, the Brazilian's ability to drive tidily and defensively under tremendous pressure shines here. 

So how did this landmark McLaren end up in Tacoma, Washington? Larry Chen's YouTube channel is here to explain. 

This McLaren lives in the collection of Griot's Garage, those purveyors of excellent car care products, that also have a business restoring classics. Griot's purchased this McLaren during the latter company's recent financial woes, when it liquidated a portion of its race chassis to raise money. 

The always excellent Larry Chen gets an opportunity to poke around the McLaren and learn its secrets, along with a drive in two late 1980s/early 1990s German classics. It's a great watch for anyone with a passing interest in F1, old German stuff, or cool cars in general.  

More Vintage F1

Source: YouTube

Late-model German performance cars are infamous for their complexity. Even in good working condition, they're tough to work on and expensive to maintain. Having to revive one from a salvage yard is extra tough. But if there's one person who can do it, it's Sreten Milisavljevic of the M539 Restorations YouTube channel.

Milisavljevic is famous in the world of used BMWs for his long-form videos that document the revival of broken or abandoned cars, ranging from the older E30-generation 3 Series to the legendary first-generation 8 Series, to later models like the V-8-powered M3. This E60-generation M5 is certainly his toughest challenge yet.

Purchased from a salvage auction in California, this rare six-speed, V-10-powered sedan needed far more than just a light refresh to get back on the road. Though it looks relatively healthy on the outside, a quick peek underneath reveals a gaping hole in the oil pan, right where the oil pickup tube lies. From the looks of it, this car smashed into a curb at high speed, ripping that hole open and cracking the subframe.

Though things look grim, the engine seems to be in relatively good shape, as it never actually ran with this hole in the pan. There's no metal in the oil, and the bottom end looks healthy. Milisavljevic runs into a problem when he realizes the engine won't turn freely. Fearing the worst, he removes the valve covers to find the VANOS units, responsible for cam timing, were damaged in the crash. 

What was supposed to be a fairly straightforward repair and restoration has turned into a major timing job. There's always a risk to buying damaged auction cars like this, especially online. You could get lucky, or you could end up with something that's far harder and more expensive to fix.

Despite the daunting repairs ahead, Milisavljevic forges on, refreshing the damaged oil pump and replacing the rod bearings (a known wear item on this mighty 500-horsepower V-10 engine). In the second video, he tackles the VANOS units and finally gets the car running. Despite the fairly mundane repair work, it's all incredibly satisfying to watch. If you love seeing cool cars brought back to life, it's a must-watch.

More Interesting Car Repairs

Source: YouTube

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the performance car of the moment. It's the first purely electric car the Motor1 staff truly loves, thanks mostly to its ability to act like an internal combustion-powered vehicle. But it can still do the straight-line acceleration thing incredibly well.

The Carwow YouTube channel brought together an Ioniq 5 N and an Audi RS7 Performance to see which would be quicker in a series of drag races. The RS7 is among the mightiest cruise missile saloons on sale right now, packing 621 horsepower in Performance trim, getting torque to all four wheels via the company's iconic Quattro all-wheel drive. 

The Hyundai is no slouch either, making a maximum of 641 horsepower when the boost function is activated. Thanks to its two electric motors, it also gets torque to all four corners. The most interesting factoid, though: Both cars weigh nearly the same, meaning this is a true head-to-head matchup.

In the first of three half-mile standing start drag races, the Audi gets a great start and holds its lead against the Hyundai until the finish. The second race has a far more even start between the two cars, resulting in an extremely close victory for the Ioniq 5. The last race is much of the same, with the EV taking the win by half a car length.

The Carwow team tries a couple of roll-races between the two cars as well. For the first one, the Ioniq 5 is placed into its fake gear-shift mode, which emulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The Audi easily walks away with the win. For the next race, the Hyundai was switched to normal EV power delivery, and this time, it took the win (but just barely).

The only test where the Audi was able to secure a real victory was in the braking test. In a side-by-side test from 100 mph, the Audi comes to a stop several car lengths shorter than the Hyundai. While both cars weigh the same, the RS7's bigger brakes and stickier tires likely played a big role in its victory.

More Ioniq 5 N Drag Races

British sports car maker Ginetta presented the Akula in March 2019 at the Geneva Motor Show. Back then, the company promised to start customer deliveries in January 2020. That didn't happen. But the niche brand is finally making things right by unveiling a production version, and while it may not be the prettiest supercar out there, the details are pretty juicy.

A mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.4-liter V-8 powers the Ginetta Akula. Displacement has gone up from the original car, which had a smaller 6.0-liter engine. The road-going version still packs 600 horsepower but torque is down by 26 pound-feet to a still healthy 494 pound-feet. In the turbocharging and electrification era, that output isn't overly impressive. However, the Akula is lighter than the vast majority of performance cars.

Thanks to a carbon fiber monocoque and floor, the car weighs just 2,624 pounds, so it's only 172 lbs heavier than a Miata RF. The Akula routes power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox. Alternatively, customers can opt for a dual-clutch, seven-speed automatic transmission, but why would they? Ginetta installs a limited-slip differential developed in-house and can optionally mount carbon-ceramic brakes for superior stopping power.

We need more naturally aspirated supercars in 2024 when almost everyone is going hybrid or electric. This "old-school" formula is plenty quick, with 0 to 62 mph taking only 2.9 seconds. Flat out, the Akula exceeds 180 mph. Weight is distributed evenly between the two axles where you'll find a double wishbone suspension and 20-inch wheels.

Although performance was prioritized, Ginetta also envisioned the Akula as a grand tourer by giving it a generous cargo capacity of 16.7 cubic feet. It also has an electronically adjustable steering column and pedal box along with a large 26.4-gallon fuel tank. A Corvette C8 can only take 18.5 gallons. If you don't drive it like you stole it, the car should do 450 miles before it runs out of gas.

Only 20 cars will be made, and as you can imagine, the Leeds-built Akula is not cheap. Ginetta wants £275,000, before taxes and shipping. At current exchange rates, that works out to $362,300. Many build slots have already been taken but a limited number are still up for grabs. The asking price has decreased substantially compared to the original £340,000 ($448,000) sticker.

If you're wondering about the car's name, Akula is the Russian word for "shark," which seems fitting given the car's pointy shape. The aero bits were tested in the wind tunnel and are derived from the Ginetta G61-LT-P1 LMP1 race car.

More Supercar Stories

In December 2022, former pro Cricket player and Top Gear presenter Freddie Flintoff suffered serious injuries in a crash while filming an episode at the Dunsfold track. The incident ultimately ended the popular motoring show, and though Flintoff has largely recovered, he still struggles with physical and mental challenges.

Now, his co-presenter Chris Harris is opening up about the crash. On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he shared his feelings on what happened, his own struggles with the crash and aftermath, and how he tried to warn the BBC that things were getting too dangerous.

"I had seen this coming," he said. "There was a big inquiry, a lot of soul searching, the BBC is good at that. But what was never spoken about was that, three months before the accident, I’d gone to the BBC and said, unless you change something, someone’s going to die on this show."

Flintoff's crash wasn't the first incident on the show in its later years. Paddy McGuinness lost control of a Lamborghini Diablo in 2020 while on public roads, sliding into a field. In 2019 Flintoff crashed a Subaru Brat during a race in Mansfield. And on the podcast, Harris talks about crashing wooden go-karts in Thailand that left him with a broken hand. That was one of the moments he felt stunts were going too far on the show, but he told Rogan that the BBC didn't acknowledge his concerns.

"I saw this coming. I thought I did the right thing. I went to the BBC. And I found out that no one had taken me very seriously."

Flintoff was driving a Morgan 3 Wheeler when he crashed. Harris, who had experience with the car, said the film crew just went off and started shooting without informing him about it. Being the presenter with the most driving experience, Harris said he and Flintoff would often discuss cars and things to expect before setting out, but this time he didn't have that chance.

"Because of the call times that day, that was the first time we never had a chance to talk about how he might approach a difficult vehicle," explained Harris. "And that was the one day it went wrong. I find that very difficult to live with."

Technically speaking, the BBC is "resting" Top Gear for the foreseeable future. But if it does return, it will almost certainly be a very different format with new hosts.

"To actually say to an organization, ‘this is going to go wrong’ and then be there the day it goes wrong is a position I never expected to be in," said Harris. "And I never want to be in again."

The Top Gear Legacy:

Source: JRE Clips / YouTube

This 1990 Jaguar XJR-15, piloted by Juan Manuel Fangio II to victory at the 1991 Formula One support race at Silverstone, is for sale. This is the first time in its 33-year existence that the car has been offered to the public. It still wears its original JaguarSpot International Challenge livery, and features Fangio’s autograph.

Jaguar built 16 of these race cars with the help of Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR). This is chassis 48. It features a 6.0-liter V-12 engine producing 450 horsepower, a six-speed manual gearbox with straight-cut gears, and a triple-plate carbon-fiber AP Racing clutch. Underneath the carbon body panels you'll find a carbon-fiber monocoque—pretty advanced stuff for the early 1990s.

The Jaguar has massively wide Pirelli P Zero Assimetrico tires—13 inches at the rear and nine at the front—that wrap around 17-inch OZ alloy wheels. Steel AP Racing four-piston brakes provide stopping power at all four corners, while a limited-slip differential gets torque to the ground.

The carbon-exposed cabin is extremely basic. You have your essential dials for speed and revs, along with gauges for vehicle vitals like oil temp, oil pressure, fuel, and water temp. There’s a carbon-fiber racing seat with a four-point Sabelt harness and a fire suppression system.

The car is currently listed for sale on Pistonheads via The Octane Collection, an exotic car dealer in the United Kingdom. There's no price listed, but considering the rarity and desirability of even normal, street-legal XJR-15s, this one certainly won't go for cheap. The best part? The sale comes included with a 600-mile Jaguar XJR-S, so you can drive yourself to the track before hopping into your XJR-15 race car.

Check Out More Jag News:

Although Audi introduced the A3 facelift in Europe back in March, it’s only now we have details about the versions for North America. Well, version, because there's just one. The front-wheel-drive A3 is gone for 2025, so the compact luxury sedan is now a Quattro-only affair. It continues to have a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline engine but it now makes 236 pound-feet, an increase of 15 lb-ft.

The amount of horsepower delivered by the 2.0 TFSI engine remains unchanged, at 201 hp. Courtesy of the boost in torque, Audi claims the 2025 A3 is now 0.3 seconds quicker to 60 mph than before. It takes six seconds flat to get the job done. If that's too slow, the updated S3 takes 4.4 seconds. The high-performance version has gained an extra 22 hp for a total of 328 hp. The S3 soldiers on with 295 lb-ft of torque.

Yes, the official images still show the models sold in Europe where the sedan is available alongside the more practical five-door Sportback. For 2025, the US-spec A3 has standard 17-inch V-spoke wheels and an optional 18-inch five-double-spoke alloy with at two-tone finish. Four new body colors are available: Arkona White, Arrow Gray pearl effect, Progressive Red metallic, and District Green metallic.

Inside, the 2025 Audi A3 has a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, a 10.1-inch touchscreen, and ambient lighting as standard. Two USB-C ports in the front and two more in the back are included on the base model as well, along with a three-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel. Step up to the S3 and there's standard dual-zone automatic climate control, contour lighting, stainless steel pedals, a black headliner, and illuminated door sills. More importantly, the S3 gets the RS3's rear torque splitter.

The 2025 Audi A3 Quattro starts at $39,495 for the Premium trim level, making it $600 more expensive than last year's all-wheel-drive model. The S3 now kicks off at $49,995, an increase of $1,500.

There's no word about the RS3 just yet, but the five-cylinder model debuted last month in Europe. We're expecting it to be slightly more expensive than the outgoing model, available from $63,395 before options.

The 2025 RS3 In Europe:

Source: Audi

Gray cars are largely boring, with a few notable exceptions. The most exceptional of those is Nardo Gray from Audi. Now, you can have it on the S6 and S7 with the Nardo Sport Edition.

New for 2025, the package adds Audi's famous shade of gray to the exterior. To help the cars stand out further, the Nardo Sport Edition gets gloss black 21-inch wheels, a black roof, carbon fiber mirror housings, and smoked headlights. Exterior badging is also black, but the Nardo Sport Edition isn't completely devoid of color. You'll still find a kiss of red on the S emblems.

Moving inside, there's a bit more red to accompany the gray and black. Audi fits both cars with a special leather package that features red stitching on the seats. That includes a bold S logo on the upper portion and red for the quilt pattern in the inserts, and there's more red stitching on the dash, center console, steering wheel, doors, and floormats. Leather covers the dash and console, and on the S7, you get a Black Dinamica headliner, too.

The Nardo Sport Edition is purely an appearance upgrade. Under the hood is the familiar twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter mild-hybrid V-6 making 444 horsepower, going to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. In the tech department, Audi tells us all 2025 S6 and S7 models have available adaptive cruise control and traffic sign recognition, in addition to the plethora of driver assist systems.

The base Audi S6 comes in at $76,995 including destination. Meanwhile, the S7 starts at $86,795. The Nardo Sport Edition is only available on the range-topping Prestige trim, though. From there, the package further adds $9,700 to the S6 and $11,200 to the S7. All total, you'll spend at least $94,895 for an S6 Nardo Sport Edition and $105,395 for the S7. Both are available to order now.

Audi News:

Source: Audi

Update: In an email to Motor1, a VW Group spokesperson provided the following statements made recently by VW Group CFO/COO Dr. Arno Antlitz regarding cost efficiency for the company. The statements reflect the efficiency of VW operations in Germany.

"We have been spending more money at the brand than we earn for some time now.
That can’t go well in the long term. If we carry on like this, we won't succeed in the transformation. 

In Europe, 2 million fewer vehicles are currently sold than before COVID. Before COVID, around 16 million vehicles were bought in Europe. During and after COVID, this figure fell to around 12 million vehicles because the entire industry did not have enough semiconductors. The market in Europe has recovered since then, but will not return to its former level. We expect around 14 million vehicles to be sold per year in the future, if at all. So there is a shortfall of around 2 million units.

We [the Volkswagen Group] are the largest manufacturer with around a quarter of the market share in Europe. We are short of around 500,000 cars, the equivalent of around 2 plants. And that has nothing to do with our products or poor sales performance. The market is simply no longer there.

It is our joint responsibility to improve the cost efficiency of the German sites in particular. We need to increase productivity and reduce costs. We still have a year, maybe two years, to turn things around. But we have to make use of this time.

Simultaneously, we need to reduce the complexity of our processes and leverage even more Group synergies."

Dr. Arno Antlitz, chief financial and operating officer for Volkswagen Group, told workers gathered at the company's Wolfsburg headquarters the company has "one, maybe two" years to turn things around for its main car brand, Volkswagen. His words come just days after news that VW could close two plants in Germany, something that hasn't happened in the company's entire 87-year history.

Approximately 25,000 workers were on hand for a meeting with company executives on Wednesday, per a report from Reuters, and they were rather vocal about the possibility of plant closures in the country. In the 1990s, an agreement was established that guaranteed job security of VW Group employees through 2029. But VW's leadership argues that changing markets in Europe will require significant cost cuts as demand drops. Antlitz mentioned a shortfall of around 500,000 vehicles and told the assembly that sales likely wouldn't recover in the post-pandemic era.

In response, the Volkswagen works council blasted company executives for failing to do their jobs. According to Euronews, Chairperson Daniela Cavallo didn't mince words during the meeting, accusing the board of not focusing on the core business and making employees pay for their mistakes.

Glancing at recent VW Group sales stats, things don't appear as dire as Antlitz suggests. Second-quarter results show the European market is up slightly at 1.9 percent, while sales are also up in South America and the US. It's a different story in Asia, though, where competition from China has VW Group sales down 8.2 percent. Looking specifically at electric vehicles, the company is suffering all across Europe with sales down 15.2 percent. With VW Group pushing hard towards an electric lineup in its plethora of brands, these numbers point to a difficult future.

Volkwagen's longterm future in the US remains uncertain. In the meantime, VW's reboot of the Scout brand is still on track with its new electric truck and SUV scheduled to debut on October 24.

Volkswagen News:

Source: Reuters, Euronews

A new player is about to enter the hydrogen game as BMW has confirmed plans to roll out a fuel cell electric vehicle in 2028. To bring the project to fruition, it's expanding its existing collaboration with Toyota, one of the few other automakers that still believes hydrogen has a future. While the Japanese brand has been selling the Mirai for a decade, this will be BMW's first hydrogen car people will actually be able to buy.

Since the vehicle won't be launching for another four years, BMW refrains from going into details. However, it does say the hydrogen model will be a version of an existing product. Munich’s latest hydrogen project is based on the X5. That being said, logic tells us a hydrogen SUV would not be a production version of the iX5 pictured here. This generation of the luxobarge is already in the second half of its life cycle. By 2028, it will have been replaced by the next-gen vehicle.

Whichever shape it'll take, BMW pledges to sell an original product that'll stay true to the brand instead of being a reskinned Toyota. Naturally, the latter is working on its own cars that will utilize the hydrogen fuel cell tech it's developing with its Bavarian partner. In the meantime, it's worth noting the fuel cells that go into the iX5 Hydrogen are supplied by Toyota.

The zero-emission SUV is part of a test fleet of fewer than 100 units built in Spartanburg and modified at a pilot plant in Munich. It's where the 396-horsepower iX5 gets its pair of 700-bar hydrogen tanks made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). The two hold six kilograms of hydrogen for a WLTP range of 313 miles. It takes three to four minutes to refuel the vehicle, so about the same as a gas or diesel X5.

Provided BMW's first hydrogen car will be based on the next-generation X5, it'll be underpinned by the same CLAR platform as the gas/diesel/plug-in hybrid versions. There are reports that BMW might also launch a conventional EV with batteries on the same architecture as the rest of the X5 flavors. The next X5 is supposedly going into production in the latter half of 2026 and should include BEV versions from day one.

Arriving next year, Neue Klasse will be BMW’s first dedicated electric architecture and is being developed with a hydrogen fuel cell setup in mind. However, reports indicate that CLAR will be used instead, at least for the initial hydrogen efforts.

This might come as a surprise, but BMW has been actively involved in the development of hydrogen cars since 1979. It all started with the 520h featuring a combustion engine modified to run on hydrogen, a formula that was repeated later with the V-12-powered E38 and E65 sedans during the 2000s. That said, work on hydrogen ICEs was abandoned many years ago as the engineers preferred to focus on fuel cells after realizing they're more efficient.

Speaking with GoAuto earlier this year, Jürgen Guldner, Vice President of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technology and Vehicle Projects at the BMW Group, said:

"Basically, with the X5 Hydrogen FCEV we get around 500 km [310 miles] from a fill. If I put a combustion engine in the same car with the same tank, I wouldn't even get 300 km [186 miles]. That is the difference between a product we can sell, and a product we cannot sell. At the 500-km [310-mile] mark, and with a refueling time of three to four minutes, I think people will consider making the move to hydrogen – so, it is relevant."

There is a major problem we'd like to highlight. Yes, the refueling infrastructure. It’s basically nonexistent in many parts of the world, so we won’t be surprised if the vehicle will only be sold in select regions where owners can juice up their hydrogen cars. 2028 is four years away and the network might improve by then. BMW and Toyota do say they’re "seeking regional or local projects to further drive the development of hydrogen infrastructure through collaborative initiatives."

The Hydrogen Future

Source: BMW

It’s been over a decade since Nissan introduced the retro-flavored IDx concept, hinting at a third sports car alongside the 370Z and GT-R. The former 370Z was replaced by the new Z, and the GT-R is dead—at least for the time being. The IDx, meanwhile, would've been too costly to produce and there wasn't enough demand. Nissan was also concerned it would've cannibalized sales of the 370Z.

However, Nissan has been dropping hints lately about launching a third performance model. The company has gone on record several times about resurrecting the beloved Silvia nameplate. But now it's official: The Silvia is coming back.

In a new interview with Australia's Drive magazine, a high-ranked official confirmed the sports car is officially in the works. Nissan Vice-President Global Product Strategy Ivan Espinosa shared the good news: "We've been doing some very early upstream exercises of what the architecture could look like."

An "upstream exercise" is a business process that basically refers to initial planning and the early stages of development. Espinosa aims for Nissan to have the sports car ready before the end of the decade with an electrified powertrain. That may be bad news for purists but a gas-only setup wouldn't work globally, especially in Europe where there are stringent emissions regulations that keep getting stricter.

Nissan wants the reborn Silvia to comply with regulations in as many countries as possible so it can ramp up production to achieve economies of scale. Even though sports cars are a niche market and developing one from scratch is a costly endeavor, Nissan won't join forces with another automaker to make it happen. Rather than going down the Z4/Supra, GR86/BRZ, or Miata/124 Spider route, the new Silvia will be an all-Nissan effort.

Espinosa is confident the company can ride solo in the engineering process but admits the project necessitates "a serious level of investment," which is a "difficult" commitment to make. A new Silvia would be developed from the ground up, and his wish is for Nissan to skip a collaboration with another brand.

"I'm trying, as I said and I keep saying it in my brain, three sports cars in my lineup, a GT-R, a Z, and something else. And this something else in my brain is called the Silvia. Now, will we do it? I'm trying. I'm not sure we're going do it, just to be 100% clear, but It's something that I would like to do if we, if we can. I'm trying to make it work, I'm trying to make it happen. It's not an easy case. it's not easy because the sports cars market is shrinking."

The fact of the matter is sports cars don't sell all that well. Nissan took its sweet time replacing the 370Z with a Z, and that's not even an all-new vehicle. It's understandable why the company is reluctant to pour a lot of money in what would ultimately be a niche product when it already has one (Z) and is working on another (GT-R). The mighty Godzilla going on a multi-year hiatus goes to show why Nissan is not rushing to replace the R35 anytime soon.

Launching a third sports car adds another level of complexity during challenging times for Nissan given the need to electrify its lineup. We can only hope that it makes the cut considering the Silvia's cult following and the scarcity of affordable sports cars. Honda's reborn Prelude gives us hope this segment of the market can survive in an SUV-hungry world.

More From Nissan

Source: Drive

Reviving vintage car designs with a modern twist isn’t new. Automakers love nostalgia as much as the rest of us, which sometimes translates into gorgeous restomod concepts we wish were real. The Renault R17 is one of those cars. Revealed today, it takes the idea of an icon, fits it with an electric powertrain, and wraps it in a stunning reimagining of the classic 1970s design ethos.

Renault collaborated with Ora Ïto, the French designer, on the car, which features a carbon body and some incredibly good proportions. The car takes inspiration from the Renault 17, a hatchback the automaker sold from 1971 until 1979.

Rectangular LED headlights integrate into the front fascia, while the simple, full-width LED taillight bar flows with the car’s simple lines. The R17’s flared fenders improve its stance, giving it a sportier appearance than the original Renault 17, and the subtle louvers add a bit of flair.

Inside, Ora Ïto used materials and fabrics from the 1970s to create a contemporary cabin that tastefully hides the screens through design. Four rectangular displays sit behind the rectangular steering wheel, while the central display sits horizontally below the dash like an old-school radio. 

While it has a 270-horsepower electric motor and can travel 249 miles on a single charge, Renault has no plans to put the concept into production. This car will remain a one-off affair that the automaker will showcase at several upcoming events, including the 2024 Paris Motor Show in October. But if Hyundai can change its tune about the N Vision 74, maybe Renault can, too.

Catch The Latest From Renault:

Source: Renault

Prodrive makes cool stuff. The Oxfordshire, England-based engineering firm gave us the stunning P25 Subaru 22B restomod, several Le Mans-spec race cars, a handful of Dakar trophy trucks, and of course, Colin McRae's legendary Subaru rally cars. Now Prodrive is teaming up with Astheimer Design for an adorable utility van.

The joint project is called Elm Mobility, and the first product out of that partnership is the pint-sized Evolv electric van. Designed for use as a "last-mile" delivery vehicle, the Evolv van is a mere 128.0 inches long, 57.0 inches wide, and weighs just 1,874 pounds.

The van's main cargo area can hold freight up to 5.2 feet tall and weighing more than 660 pounds. A secondary cargo area (accessible via rear "barn doors") offers another 3.9 feet and 440 pounds worth of capability. It even has a turning radius of 25.6 feet—just shy of a London taxi cab's 25.0-foot turning radius.

The driver sits in a single-seat cabin with a huge wraparound windshield for maximum visibility (it even has two windshield wipers). But don't worry, Elm says the Evolv meets N1 (small van) safety crash standards in Europe. It also promises to be one of the most capable and efficient vehicles in the L7e category.

The proposed battery is a 20.0-kilowatt-hour pack with about 100 miles of range—just enough for short-distance deliveries. Plugging into a level 2 charger would refill the van from 20-80 percent in less than two hours. The listed top speed is just 50 miles per hour, but Elm says that other battery configurations are "under consideration."

The Elm Evolv van is just a concept for now, but production is planned for 2028. The company is currently working with an investor in the US to bring a small fleet of electric vans Stateside, but the majority of them will remain in Europe. Elm wants to build 10,000 units annually by 2030, with pricing estimated to be somewhere in the $30,000 mark (£25,000).

More Van Stuff

Source: Elm Mobility via Autocar

Nissan updated the Frontier for 2025, adding more standard equipment across the range. That extra kit comes at a cost, though, as the 2025 Frontier is more expensive than the 2024 model across the entire lineup. The Frontier will start at $33,560 for the entry-level King Cab S 4x2 pickup, $1,540 more than before.

The Frontier now comes standard with a telescopic steering wheel, a sliding rear window, and a sunglasses holder in the overhead console. The truck’s towing capacity is also up by 500 pounds to 7,150, as it continues to use a 3.8-liter V-6 engine making the same 310 horsepower and 281 pound-feet of torque.

Frontier SV grades and higher get a larger 12.3-inch infotainment for 2025, which adds wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility. The trims also have a six-way power driver’s seat that now features two-way power lumbar support.

The SV has standard 17-inch wheels, while Pro-X, Pro-4X, and SL trims have a four-way passenger seat. Nissan also expanded the long-wheel-base, six-foot bed option to include Pro-4X and SL trims alongside the SV for 2025, which is an extra $500 regardless of the grade. It goes on sale later this summer. 

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Source: Nissan

We recently caught a social post on X from Tamiya UK, telling us about scale model race car parts that were used to build the Millennium Falcon model for the first Star Wars film. We had no idea just how many parts were used. Once you know what to look for, you can't unsee cylinder blocks, exhaust pipes, transmissions, and more all over the outside of Han Solo's ship.

Being fans of race cars and Star Wars, we couldn't resist checking this out. What we didn't expect was an insane rabbit hole that had us bouncing from website to website, uncovering thousands of various model parts used for that first Falcon. The search eventually led us to the SquareModels YouTube channel and the video below, chronicling a years-long process of building an accurate replica of the ship. It lists upwards of 2,000 parts from various kits used on the original build, including a plethora of parts from five Tamiya 1:12 scale race cars.

Arguably the most noticeable car components are along the sides. See what looks like half a transmission? That's actually half the engine and transmission housing from a Wankel rotary engine kit, mounted on both sides. On the very tips of the mandibles at the front are engine parts from a Tamiya Ferrari 312B, easily identified by the twelve cylinders hiding in plain sight. Next to them on the inner sections of the mandibles are exhaust and frame sections from a 1957 Chevy. One part of the ship has what looks like the head from a four-cylinder engine. And this is just the tip of a very big iceberg.

A lengthy (and old) discussion at the RPF forums shows locations and photos of other parts, many of which come from military vehicles and aircraft, as well as cars. You'll find tank barrels, wheels, treads, landing gear, and much more all over the outside of the iconic spaceship. No wonder it was the fastest, toughest ship in the galaxy. It had Ferrari parts and tank armor all over it. And the rotary engine components explain why it was constantly breaking down, too.

YouTube

YouTube

The Falcon model used in 1977's Star Wars: A New Hope measured five feet, and it was only used for that film. A smaller version was made for The Empire Strikes Back, and the design was revised slightly from the original. And now that we know just how many parts were borrowed from various car models in its construction, we can't stop trying to find them all.

Cars And Star Wars:

Source: Tamiya UK / X, Falcona, SquareModels / YouTube

Ford has been in recall hell for the last few years, and 2024 could be the worst of them all. The latest—Ford's 46th recall of the year—affects 90,736 vehicles with 2.7-liter or 3.0-liter EcoBoost V-6 engines under the hood. Intake valves in the engine could break off and drop into the combustion chamber, resulting in catastrophic engine failure.

Ford uses these engines in a wide range of vehicles. The recall specifically identifies the F-150, Bronco, Edge, and Explorer, as well as the Lincoln Nautilus and Aviator, all from 2021 and 2022. Valve failure isn't an isolated incident either—documents posted with the recall at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website mention 328 customer complaints, 487 warranty claims, and 809 engine replacements.

An investigation found that defective valves were manufactured using an alloy called Silchrome Lite, which can become brittle if it gets too hot during the machining process. According to recall documents, Ford switched to a different alloy in October 2021 that's "less susceptible to over-temperature during machine grinding." Ford believes a majority of the valves that could fail already have, but the company is proceeding with the large recall nonetheless.

However, the fix leaves us scratching our heads, as there's no mention of replacing potentially defective valves. Per the recall, Ford dealers will inspect affected vehicles "to determine its cumulative number of engine cycles. For vehicles that do not meet the engine cycle threshold, dealers will accumulate high revolutions per minute (rpm) engine cycles per a service procedure. Engines will be replaced on vehicles that do not pass the engine cycle accumulation."

We contacted Ford seeking clarification on the remedy and should have more information soon. A company spokesperson explained that, beyond the immediate recall, a special customer satisfaction program is offered to affected vehicle owners. If an intake valve failure occurs within 10 years or 150,000 miles, owners are eligible for a one-time engine replacement.

The spokesperson also provided this statement:

"Our goal is to prevent quality issues from happening in the first place. When they do occur, our focus is on responding quickly with a recall or service action to prevent our customers from experiencing issues with the least inconvenience possible. We are proud that our launch quality has reached best-in-class levels, and our long-term quality is showing improvement."

If this recall seems vaguely familiar, it stemmed from an NHTSA investigation in 2022 on engine failures in the Ford Bronco. 15,835 Broncos with the 2.7L and 3.0L engines are included in the recall, though the F-150 is the leader of this group with 47,719 vehicles affected.

Ford's Recall Woes:

Dealer notification of the recall will begin on September 30. Individual owner notification will follow on October 7.

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The Grand Tour as we know it is coming to an end on September 13, when the final episode featuring hosts Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May premieres on Amazon Prime. While the former Top Gear trio is stepping away for good, it won't be the end for The Grand Tour.

Hammond confirmed Amazon's plans to replace the three British presenters with new hosts for the next season, instead of killing off the show for good. 

"It will be carrying on," Hammond told UK publication Metro. "The Grand Tour continues. We’re stepping away as the hosts, but Prime will be continuing it. So I can’t wait to sit on my own chair and watch somebody else do it. That’s amazing."

The 54-year-old host said he doesn't know who Amazon is considering to replace him, Clarkson, or May, but says whomever they pick must be enthusiasts.

"If you’re making any show that at its heart has a subject, whether it’s cooking, dancing or cars, the hosts, the primary makers of it, have to have that passion in their heart," he told Metro. "And we always did. You never had to be a car geek to watch our show. Plenty of people who weren’t did watch it, but it was important that we were the car geeks."

It's unclear right now where the Amazon and its new hosts will take The Grand Tour, but Hammond says it's out of his hands.

"That’s for people who are making it to decide," he said. "We’ll always be on hand to talk if they want to talk to us, absolutely. But it’s not for us to shape it anymore. We’re stepping away. We made the show that we made."

More on The Grand Tour

Source: Metro

The fully electric EX90 won't spell the end for Volvo's biggest gas SUV—the XC90 is sticking around. A new generation model isn't on the horizon, but the current luxobarge is getting another facelift. It follows the update introduced in 2019 and brings several revisions inside and out.

Although the second-generation XC90 is already a decade old, it's aging gracefully. The minor facelift brings a fresh grille design flanked by mildly updated headlights with a revised LED daytime running light signature. The front bumper has also been modified with vertical air vents, while the lower air intake extends out farther than before. At the rear, Volvo retained the familiar taillight shape but updated the light pattern.

More significant changes happen inside where the former 9.0-inch infotainment is gone. For 2025, a larger 11.2-inch touchscreen takes center stage. It's no longer nestled into the center of the dashboard; It looks like a tablet sticking out from the dash. Aside from having a more generous diagonal, the screen looks sharper after boosting pixel density by 21%. Should you want an even bigger display, the EX90 has a massive 14.5-inch infotainment.

The new setup hosts shortcuts to the apps and controls on the home screen, making it easier and quicker to access your preferred functions. Go for a plug-in hybrid XC90 and the fully electric drive mode is only a tap away. Essentially, the new layout of the infotainment echoes that of recent Volvos, even though the XC90 has been around since 2014.

But wait, there's more. Volvo claims it has added extra sound insulation to certain parts of the vehicle for a quieter cabin. Elsewhere, the dashboard incorporates redesigned air vents and comes with decorative panels made from recycled materials. The updated cabin now offers greater practicality with more storage space in the center console, including an additional cupholder. The wireless charging pad has been repositioned behind the central tunnel so that it no longer gets in the way after separating it from the storage area.

Volvo remains tight-lipped on technical specifications but we do know that diesel engines are dead. The plug-in hybrid promises to cover more than 43 miles in electric mode on the WLTP cycle and over 497 miles after factoring in the gas tank. In the United States, the outgoing XC90 plug-in hybrid is rated by EPA at 32 miles of electric range and has a 530-mile total range. Aside from selling the new-ish XC90 as a plug-in hybrid T8 as shown here, the Swedes also have B5 and B6 flavors with a mild-hybrid setup.

An air suspension remains available, raising the SUV by as much as 1.57 inches and lowering it by up to 0.8 inches. Active chassis tech monitors the road and vehicle a whopping 500 times a second to deliver a silky-smooth ride.

The order books are open and production is programmed to begin near the end of the year when customer deliveries start. These new investments to keep the XC90 fresh and competitive tell us gas cars are not going away anytime soon.

What Has Volvo Been Up To Lately?

Source: Volvo

Volvo was one of the first automakers to promise an electric-only lineup. If you recall, the original announcement was made in March 2021. At the end of May 2024, Volvo's CEO said an EV-only portfolio is still "very achievable." At that point, Jim Rowan was "confident" Volvo could end sales of vehicles with combustion engines in just five years.

However, during the most recent quarterly investor webcast held in late July, the automaker's CEO admitted that it'll "take time to bridge different parts of the world for full electrification." In other words, the initial goal to become a pure EV brand by 2030 might not be achieved. Fast forward to early September, Volvo is now officially readjusting its lofty electric goals.

The new target is for plug-in hybrids and electric cars to account for 90-100% of annual sales by the end of the decade. Volvo concedes cars without charging ports are likely to stick around longer than initially estimated, but only a "limited number of mild hybrid models."

The Swedish marque believes several factors have contributed to the slower-than-projected adoption of EVs. The development of the charging infrastructure is progressing at a slower pace. In addition, some countries have either reduced or completely eliminated incentives for EVs. Volvo also blames newly applied tariffs on electric cars in certain markets.

Volvo hopes cars with a charging cord (PHEVs+EVs) will account for 50-60% of deliveries by 2025, up from 48% during the second quarter of this year. From April through June, fully electric cars accounted for 26% of total shipments. The company's plan is to continue investments in mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid models as part of its "strategic adjustments" to better reflect what people want.

In the long run, Volvo still wants to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.

Volvo is the latest in a long string of automakers to backtrack from its original electric goals. In recent months, we've seen the likes of Porsche, Mercedes, Bentley, and Ford of Europe push back their aggressive electric agendas.

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Source: Volvo