Innholdsfortegnelse for March/April 2024 i Car and Driver

REMEMBER THE CLASS-ACTION lawsuit involving the first-generation Acura NSX and its aggressive rear toe-in that could chew through a set of tires in as few as 3000 miles? Lamborghini’s new active hub adjusts camber and toe in real time, allowing even more aggressive settings to maximize track performance without the wear trade-offs or having to change alignment before and after a track day. Lamborghini has installed these new patented trick hubs on each rear corner of a Huracán development prototype, and the tech will likely make its production debut on the Huracán’s replacement, due later this year. Each unit consists of two eccentric rotating elements actuated by 48-volt electric motors. The outer ring primarily adjusts camber, which can shift from +2.5 degrees to −5.5, and the inner one is mainly…

A sports car’s mission is driving fun, the joyful connection of car, driver, and road. That purpose, taken to its logical conclusion, ends up at a racetrack. At Lightning Lap 15, the 10Best-winning Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR86 twins proved that their smile-inducing personalities translate from street to track—but with an asterisk. The fun ended when, after a single hot lap, the brake pedal turned mushy. With the track-focused 2024 Subaru BRZ tS not yet available [see “Late Braking News,” page 96], we wanted to see whether we could create a cost-effective brake upgrade for our long-term 2023 BRZ Limited to make it more trackworthy. We replaced the brake fluid with Castrol React SRF Racing high-temperature DOT4 ($57 from Amazon), swapped on a set of Carbotech XP12 race brake pads…

Exposure therapy is a technique in which one engages in a fearful activity until it’s not so scary anymore. I’ve always felt exposed, vulnerable, and out of depth on a motorcycle, so I’ve left them alone my entire life. When executive editor K.C. Colwell came to me with the chance to ride along with BMW Motorrad brand ambassador and pro racer Nate Kern on a 205-hp BMW M 1000 RR at VIR, I said no. Colwell insisted. I caved. Next thing I know, I’m in leathers, swinging a leg over, and placing my narrow ass on a tiny pillion. My arms wrap around Kern, and my hands grasp an aftermarket handle on the fuel filler cap. In corners, Kern instructs me to release my inside hand’s grip from the handle,…

Mercedes-AMG’s newest generation of supersedan relies on a hybrid driveline optimized for track performance. It has one electric motor paired with a twospeed transmission that drives the rear differential’s ring gear (there are two other motors in the powertrain: a starter-generator and one on the turbocharger) and a 469-hp 2.0-liter inline-four with a specific output of 235.6 horsepower per liter bolted to a ninespeed automatic (featuring AMG’s multiplate clutch in lieu of a torque converter). Combined output is seriously high: 671 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque. Normally, mixing motors and engines wouldn’t cause our feeble minds too much trouble. But in this case, Mercedes says that the combined torque of the system is greater than the sum of the engine’s peak torque (402 pound-feet) and the motor’s (236 pound-feet).…

Devotees of blue paint and gold wheels had given up hope for an extra-strength WRX since Subaru killed the STI variant for 2022. And while the 2024 WRX TR doesn’t increase the WRX’s standard 271 horsepower, it does bring notable performance upgrades. The springs are about 5 percent stiffer, and the brakes are massive Brembos, 13.4-inch cross-drilled rotors squeezed by six-piston calipers up front and 12.8-inch rotors with two-piston calipers at the rear. Those brightred calipers peek out from behind TR-specific 19-inch wheels that give vague Lamborghini vibes. Bridgestone Potenza S007 summer tires are standard, and their grip will increase your appreciation for the secure embrace of the Recaro seats. The TR is available only with a manual transmission and priced at $42,775, a $2640 premium over a manual WRX…

RIVIAN R1T MAX BATTERY PACK The Rivian R1T and R1S with the dual-motor powertrain start at $8000 less than those with the original quad-motor setup, but the new layout pairs best with the newly optional Max battery pack. The Max is not heavier or larger than the commonly spec’d Large pack. Instead, the $10,000 difference amounts to a more sophisticated and power-dense battery chemistry. A dual-motor R1T Large with standard tires offers a 352-mile EPA range, but the Max pack elevates that to 410 miles, according to Rivian. We had a worry-free experience on a 2000-mile road trip in an R1T with the Max battery. We charged when we felt like it, and an unexpectedly closed station didn’t ruin the trip. But the extra spend is a tough sell unless…

THOUGH IT LOOKS STRAIGHT out of a science-fiction film, the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (or HMGICS, for those who prefer initialisms) is no movie set. HMGICS is a fully functioning assembly plant capable of churning out up to 30,000 vehicles per year. Its state-of-the-art robotics, more effcient manufacturing processes, and on-site farm are among the things that separate HMGICS from the Korean automaker’s other factories. “This is our test bed,” says Alpesh Patel, vice president and head of the HMGICS Technology Innovation Group. “We can expand this concept worldwide, once proven.” Indeed, if HMGICS succeeds, it could serve as the foundational model for tomorrow’s assembly plants. Then again, this seven-story urban factory may ultimately represent the future of manufacturing that never came to be. You know, like the…

Porsche’s 911 GT3 RS is a barely disguised race car. Which got us thinking: How close is it to Porsche’s factory 911 GT3 R racer? To answer that question, we invited Porsche racer Patrick Long to hot-lap the GT3 RS on VIR’s 3.3-mile Full Course, where GT3 Rs compete in the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. A Porsche factory driver for 18 years before retiring in 2021, Long racked up a mountain of victories and championships, including two wins at Le Mans. While we didn’t have a 911 GT3 R at VIR for comparison, Porsche Motorsport did supply us with lap and sector times for the latest 992-generation GT3 R. We also compared onboard videos of Long’s quick lap and a 991.2-generation Pfaff Motorsports 911 GT3 R…

2023 CHEVROLET COLORADO ZR2 Highs: Looks badass, no slouch off-road, accomplished highway cruiser. Lows: Touchscreen excess, underwhelming performance, guzzles gas. Verdict: A great off-road truck let down by its interior and, surprisingly, its engine. 2024 TOYOTA TACOMA TRD OFF-ROAD Highs: Engine punches above its weight, off-road goodness, deft handling. Lows: Back-seat legroom, low-rent seat cloth, gruff idle. Verdict: Toyota is clearly committed to Tacoma excellence One could say we’re in the glory days of midsize pickups. Whereas full-size trucks have become plus-size, increasingly expensive, and ill suited to off-piste meandering, their junior counterparts—while also growing—still feel right when it comes to parking lots, fast-food drivethroughs, and off-road adventures. Manufacturers are finally lavishing attention on their midsize trucks, and aftermarket outfitters’ wealth of available upgrades and overlanding equipment nicely supplement factory…

MEDIEVAL ALCHEMY practitioners theorized that the right combination of earth, air, fire, and water would create a fifth element: the philosopher’s stone. They believed that the stone, described as brilliant blue, could turn lead into gold and allow the holder to defy earthly limitations. We aren’t saying that Lucid has discovered the secrets to the quintessence, but the 2024 Air Sapphire has alchemy right in the name and comes only in a brilliant metallic blue paint. Even more convincing, this 5345-pound four-door accelerates like a chemical reaction and pivots with the precision of planetary orbit. It sure feels like a transmutation of base metals into precious ones. Lucid’s Air sedans feel more magical, quicker, and more nimble than their big luxury-car dimensions should allow. Even the entry-level rear-wheel-drive Air Pure…

WHEN WE LAST TESTED a Honda Passport TrailSport, we found that the trim’s cosmetic approach to ruggedness was a real bummer. For 2024, beefier tires and a retuned suspension finally give the TrailSport’s bark a bit more bite. And yet these off-road-friendly additions also don’t unduly mess with the SUV’s on-road demeanor. General Grabber A/T Sport all-terrain tires (245/60R-18) do give up some skidpad grip in exchange for being better in the dirt. The 2024 Passport achieved 0.74 g, a little worse than an all-season-clad 2022 model’s 0.77-g result, and understeer grew from moderate to excessive. The suspension’s springs and dampers, calibrated for light off-roading purposes, remain pliant enough for daily-driving comfort without suffering wishy-washiness. Body control is good on both asphalt and dirt, although we did find the steering…

ACROSS 2 A C/D original: the old cars in challenges 4 Top-speed driveway owner 10 We tried to cook eggs on its doorsill 12 Premature ignition 13 Endurance racing series for $500 cars 16 Pearley wrote an epic poem to this Nissan convertible 17 Backfires buddy 18 The DK in PDK 20 Test-equipment staple 22 Baja comparison casualty 25 C/D editor at Indy 26 Née Datsun 28 Cannonball’s daddy 33 Cadillac that flew on Boeing 747s 34 Western state with room enough for John Phillips 35 This Sargent’s last was O’Rourke’s C/D first 36 Italian city, Mercury 38 Rollout distance 39 Unlikely Ferrari 348ts beater 40 Diesel 41 C/D presidential candidate 42 Sports car we took to the Yukon twice DOWN 1 The R in RX-7 3 Ford’s folly, also Henry’s son…

CHANGE IS COMING to Porsche’s iconic 911 for 2025. Along with subtle styling tweaks to its exterior and interior, the 992.2-generation 911 brings electrification to Porsche’s rear-engine sports car. Though most 911s will usher in the electrified era by way of a 48-volt electrical system powering an integrated starter-generator that complements the brand’s famous flat-six engine, the model line will eventually add a high-voltage gasoline-electric powertrain option to the mix as well. Expect the hybrid powerplant to make its way to the 911 sometime after the 2025 calendar year, likely bearing the name T-HEV. Said to be co-developed with Rimac (in which Porsche holds a 45 percent interest), the hybrid system incorporates a 400-volt electrical system, an integrated starter-generator, an electric motor that propels the front wheels (and can produce…

Highs: Quickest rear-driver we’ve tested, deft chassis tuning, just look at it. Lows: Not as melodious as a 458 Italia, button-infested steering wheel, ground-scraping ride height with the Multimatic dampers. Verdict: Ferrari makes it worth your while to give up the V-8s. SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, Ferrari decided it would be better for its cars to flatter their owners than to kill them. With few exceptions—the Enzo springs to mind—the modern Ferrari will tolerate a lot of buffoonery. Most mid-engine Ferraris from the past 20 years are so easy to drive, so benign at their limits, that you can get out and think you should immediately pursue an FIA license. But that chassis-tuning wizardry becomes harder to execute as horsepower climbs, natural aspiration gives way to turbochargers and electric motors,…

While the roar of Ferrari V-8s lives on in the SF90 and Roma, we pour out espresso shots for those that powered the likes of the 458s, 488s, and F8s and their glorious eight-cylinder soundtracks. And though it’s unlikely any V-6 will ever win a Grammy, Ferrari’s new 120-degree 3.0-liter V-6, codenamed F163, might get a nomination. The turbos mounted in the F163’s valley mark a departure from the V-8’s outboard compressors. The hot-V configuration increases the turbos’ responsiveness. At full boil, they cram 29.0 psi of boost down the V-6’s throat, helping deliver 654 horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque. That’s 218.6 ponies per liter—more potent than the SF90 XX’s 197.0 per liter. With the cylinder banks splayed out, the F163 is 3.4 inches lower than the F8’s V-8,…

IN THE FLORIOPOLI PIT garages, along the route of Sicily’s Targa Florio road race, there’s a roughly translated warning from the mayor to the residents of a local town. Dating to the early 1900s, it reads, “Listen, listen. Tomorrow there is the car races. Keep inside the house children, dogs, pigs, and chickens. Who dies, dies because of their own fault, and the mayor does not take the responsibility!” We don’t know if a similar warning went out before we showed up in Sicily with the 2024 Subaru BRZ tS, but we didn’t see any chickens. Except maybe the one behind the steering wheel. Like Le Mans, the Targa Florio temporarily repurposed local roads as racetrack. Unlike Le Mans, each lap included more than 2000 corners, most of them diabolical.…

IT IS WITH A heavy heart that we say goodbye to the Jaguar F-type. The company will end production of the F-type in 2024 and lay it to rest in its native England. Cause of death: electrification—more specifically, Jaguar’s impending switch to an all-electric lineup. The F-type leaves behind red blooded driving enthusiasts who already face a dearth of V-8-powered sports cars. Few of them sound as good as the F-type, with its supercharged 5.0-liter. A hair-raising exhaust note has been the Jag’s trademark from the get-go. It’s now devoid of theatrical crackles and pops on overrun, but wide-open throttle still unleashes an intoxicating 90-decibel roar. Freshened just once over a decade, the F-type’s timeless design still makes our knees weak. The long hood, wide hips, and two-seat cockpit are…

BMW i4 xDrive40 MILES: 2073 OBSERVED MPGe: 79 The Hyundai Ioniq 5 won our Electric Vehicle of the Year award in 2022. But if the compact electric SUV with origami styling was that year’s valedictorian, the BMW i4 Gran Coupe was surely the salutatorian. The i4 M50 that participated in EV of the Year ’22 wowed us with its poise, power, and chestcompressing speed. Subsequent drives of the then-base-model eDrive40 convinced us that the i4 lineup embodies the same three core dynamic traits—supple suspension, talkative steering, and intuitive handling—that made the best BMWs of the past incandescent automobiles, ones we remember warmly. The i4 proved our initial impressions true by beating a host of impressive gasoline-powered cars to win a 2023 10Best award. Cars that get a 10Best medal are…