Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2023 i MotorTrend

The new high-performance Z NISMO is almost here. NISMO, for those not in the know, stands for Nissan Motorsports, and it’s been responsible for some monster cars over the years—but the Z NISMO represents more of a going-over than a full rework. Surprisingly, it’s available only with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Both the base Z Sport and midgrade Performance models are available with a six-speed manual, and fans no doubt hoped it would be an option here. Nissan says the automatic is quicker at the track, and we already know the auto is 0.6 second quicker to 60 mph and through the quarter mile than a comparably equipped manual Z. Of benefit to track running, this version of the automatic has revised clutch packs that Nissan says deliver quicker shifting,…

Hyundai recently had us out to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to get our first in-depth look at its all-new big, brawny, and boxy 2024 Santa Fe. Beyond the blindingly obvious location to launch its potentially game-changing new SUV, Santa Fe and its environs actually made a lot of sense as a backdrop given the model’s redefined mission as a glampy outdoor lifestyle machine. Beginning with a wheelbase roughly 2 inches longer than before, Hyundai completely rethought how to reconfigure rear packaging, in particular the interior tailgate aperture, where the team created a significantly wider overall opening. As for the Santa Fe’s overall style, it harkens back to several squared-off SUVs of yore, with modern, updated touches. Call it a botoxed box. What jumps out at you from the first glance…

I’ve never given much thought to asphalt, besides resenting road commissions for economizing by choosing it over the vastly more durable concrete. My obvious pavement bias has inspired two Technologue columns covering novel concrete technologies aimed at strengthening roads and greening the production process. But only a scant 6 percent of our nation’s 4-million-mile road network features rigid paving (concrete), while the rest is flexible (asphalt). So it’s high time I even the score by examining some technology aiming to make asphalt both stronger and greener. Today, the term “asphalt” typically refers to the mixture of various aggregates with bitumen, a semi-solid form of petroleum that occurs in nature but is now mostly obtained via refinement. Documented usage of asphalt for paving dates to the time of the Babylonian kings…

You never know exactly what you’re going to get with a V-8-powered Mustang. Some of the best performance cars we’ve ever driven include the likes of the flat-plane-crank-powered Mustang Shelby GT350R, the burly Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca, and the flyweight 1993 Mustang Cobra. Others, such as the SN95 Mustang GT, were underwhelming—or worse, just plain forgettable. So you might understand our hesitation to predict anything going into our first test of the new Mustang GT. However, the surprisingly fun EcoBoost gave us hope the GT would deliver. Before we dive in, let’s quickly cover what’s new and what isn’t. The S650 Mustang’s new sheetmetal is the most obvious change. Ford designers applied first-gen Mustang styling marks again—for the third straight generation—yet did an admirable job of making the car…

In the automotive world, “having it all” is a cliché. There are vehicles that sacrifice everything for comfort and luxury and those that prioritize performance over a polished ride. These days, vehicles have been getting bigger and more spacious, and although high performance isn’t necessarily a priority for most SUVs, nearly every automaker offers speedy variants on the theme. Case in point, a decade ago no one thought we’d have a Type S SUV, yet the 2024 Acura MDX Type S is the first such vehicle from Acura to wear the coveted sports badge, bringing a dose of athleticism to a popular family vehicle. The 2023 Lexus RX 500h F Sport is another example. The RX is known for its reliability and approachable character, and this SUV takes a different…

Soul. It’s the latest temporary goalpost set by car enthusiasts unwilling to consider buying an EV. We hear it from you a lot, about the lack of noise, vibration, smell. Fast golf carts, you call them. One-trick ponies that can accelerate quickly and that’s it. There’s no sound to get excited about, no feel of the engine revving and gears changing, nothing with which to form a mechanical bond. But what if there was? Where do you move the goalposts then? It’s a question you’ll need to start asking yourself, because the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N prototype will make you question all of your preconceived notions about EVs. The Ioniq 5 N is loaded with features that walk a fine line between useful and gimmicky, but they’re all designed…

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Lariat “A new player enters the EV game: 7-Eleven.”Christian Seabaugh Service Life 5 months/7,036 miles Average Fuel Econ 1.93 mi/kWh Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0 Normal wear $0 Base price $69,269 As tested $80,889 EPA City/Hwy/Comb fuel econ 78/63/70 mpg-e Fast-charging the Lightning is generally boring: pull up to a charger, plug in, fumble with an app, and hope the station works as advertised. Typically, we then look for something to do—or at least a restroom to use—while we charge. Convenience store giant 7-Eleven is ready to provide that “something else to do.” Announced in March, the new 7Charge DC fast-charging network is coming to a location near you. With our pickup in need of juice and one of the few active 7Charge stations in the country nearby, we decided to…

“After spending a year with the GV70, we have just one more question: Can we keep it?”Miguel Cortina Service Life 13 months/22,427 miles Avg Fuel Econ 19.9 mpg Base Price $54,195 As Tested $64,670 Options Sport Advanced package ($5,000: Nappa leather seats, suede headliner, surround-view camera, remote park assist, premium sound), Sport Prestige package ($4,900: 21-inch wheels, carbon-fiber trim, e-LSD, three-zone climate control, heated rear seats, rear side sunshades, head-up display, 3D instrument panel), Uyuni White paint ($575) Problem Areas None Maintenance Cost $0 (3x inspection, oil change, tire rotation; air filter, in-cabin air filter) Normal Wear $0 Total Fuel Cost $6,485 3-Year Residual Value* $51,500 (79%) Recalls Faulty seat belt pretensioner (front seats) *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of three years MotorTrend’s long-term vehicles usually leave a mark on our staff. The chaperones—those…

Range isn’t the problem anymore. It used to be, but with the recent cancellation of the uncompetitive Mazda MX-30, almost any electric vehicle on the market will take you at least 149 miles; most will take you more than 200. The best will go as far as the average combustion-powered vehicle, as much as 500 miles. No, what we have now isn’t range anxiety. It’s charger anxiety. No matter how many apps you have on your phone or in your dashboard, they’ll still be handcuffed by the availability of chargers. Your 90 miles of range isn’t going to cut it when the next charger is 100 miles away. Even if you have the range, do you really want to gamble on using the charger that’s exactly as far away as…

This year marks the Porsche 911’s 60th anniversary, and the latest limited-edition model will have collectors throwing deposits at dealerships like they were Major League pitchers. The 911 S/T is the company’s official anniversary offering, and it’s also the lightest of the 992 generation, according to Porsche. The manufacturer will build 1,963 examples of the car, a nod to the first year of the 911 model. The 911 S/T’s foundation comes from both the GT3 RS and the GT3 Touring package. Essentially, Porsche took the 518-hp 4.0-liter engine from the RS and dropped it into a Touring package chassis. The headlining feature of this union is the RS engine mated to a manual transmission in a 992 for the first time. This isn’t quite a manual RS, but it’s probably…

For most of Lotus’ 75 years of existence, the small British automaker was known for building plucky, lightweight sports cars. But since 2017, it’s been part of Chinese auto giant Geely, making it stablemates with Eastern brands such as Zeekr and Lynk & Co and Western brands that include Volvo and Polestar. As beloved as Lotus’ qualities made the marque among a small subset of enthusiasts, what’s to ensure it will still be around for the next 75 years—let alone the next five? The new Eletre aims to secure that future, even if an electric SUV is the polar opposite of every Lotus to have come before. The Tesla Model X–sized SUV is large and luxurious, and its standard dual-motor permanent-magnet motors are simple with few moving parts. Both the…

Our Advice Is Good Sometimes I’ve been a car guy ever since I learned to drive in 1976. I’m mostly into American muscle cars and Corvettes, but there have been a few BMWs and Porsches thrown in the mix over the years. I wanted to express my appreciation to MT for steering me toward two makes I never thought I would own or ever consider. Your article on the two Rivian R1Ts going across the Trans-America Trail convinced me I had to have one, so I preordered one not knowing when I might ever get it. My truck needs changed quicker than I expected, so I decided to also order a Ram 2500 Limited based on how impressed I was with your info on the Ram 1500 and then your…

No matter how good they are, the base Mustang EcoBoost and the V-8-powered GT have historically signaled that even better Mustangs—absurdly powerful, track-capable, and/or collectible Mustangs—are a year or two away. Modern icons with names like Cobra, Boss 302, Mach 1, and Shelby have taught us the great pony cars always come later. That (mostly) changes with the S650 generation. As you’re kicking the tires of EcoBoost four-cylinder and GT models at your local dealer, you’ll want to keep your eyes peeled for anything wearing Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS track tires. That’s a telltale that you’ve stumbled on a Dark Horse with the optional Handling package. If the car’s not already spoken for, run—don’t walk—to your preferred auto-loan issuer. Even if you have to call Mom to cosign the…

It might be weird to consider for anyone who grew up after the 2008 financial crisis, but there was a time when midsize sedans were numbingly boring and known as “family cars.” Yes, low-slung, four-door sedans whose butts terminate with trunklids, not tailgates, were hugely popular. Sales figures resembled those of pickups, and every manufacturer had skin in the game, from Ford to Mitsubishi. And within the segment, the Toyota Camry and its rival, the Honda Accord, dominated the space. The Accord’s sales topped 400,000 units in the early 2000s; the Camry nearly kissed the half-million mark in 2007. Toyota’s bestseller today is the RAV4. Honda’s? The CR-V. Practicality these days is spelled “S-U-V,” and to many, the family sedan category doesn’t fit that description anymore, given how many Americans…

“When the sun rises, we’ll see where we are.” Ferrari team driver Miguel Molina was guardedly optimistic as mechanics fettled the two scarlet Ferrari 499P hybrid-powered Hypercars in final preparation for the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans. And as the hot June sun dried a track that had been intermittently deluged by violent thunderstorms over the previous 12 hours, Ferrari was locked in a gripping duel with Toyota for the lead of the world’s most famous endurance race. Le Mans celebrated its 100th anniversary this year with its 91st running. (The race wasn’t held in 1936 due to a labor strike, and it was canceled from 1940 to ’48 because of World War II.) It is, along with the Monaco Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500, one of top-level…

2022 Subaru WRX “We press pause on the fun stuff to examine the small things that matter in everyday life.”Brandon Lim Service Life 6 months/3,987 miles Average Fuel Econ 20.0 mpg Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0 Normal wear $0 Base price $37,490 As tested $37,754 EPA City/Hwy/Comb fuel econ 19/26/22 mpg About six months into our long-term test of our Subaru WRX Limited, we have more than enough experience with it in daily life to talk about its interior and infotainment system. These might not be as exciting to examine as the WRX’s performance and handling dynamics, but they’re hugely important for typical customers in today’s marketplace, regardless of the car in question. Indeed, youngish buyers may not even recall a time when sporty cars were judged solely on their driving characteristics while other features…

Evolving an automotive icon is never easy. Heritage can make it tough on designers to modernize styling without losing key elements longtime fans expect. Then there’s the pressure of navigating shifts in corporate direction and consumer preferences, which can lead to declining sales if the wrong path is taken. That’s sort of what happened to the U.S.-market Land Cruiser. Long known for its boxy shape, durability, and off-road capability, it was gradually transformed into a high-priced, luxurious seven-passenger SUV, losing much of its established style and some of its ruggedness along the way. Simply put, the last Land Cruiser to set a tire in America—the 200 series—was far from the same vehicle everyone fell in love with back in its glory days. Now, after being absent from U.S. soil for…

Twenty-five years of Cadillac’s big, bad SUV has taught us what makes an Escalade an Escalade: It’s all about presence and attitude. The 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is the new, all-electric version of Caddy’s flagship SUV, and it definitely has that Escalade presence and attitude … in every place but one. Photos belie its size—credit (or blame) the massive 24-inch wheels wrapped in 35-inch tires—but in person, the Escalade IQ looks properly huge. Its length is somewhere between those of the standard Escalade and the extended Escalade ESV, and while the sloping roofline recalls the Lyriq and the XT-series SUVs, the nose is sort of a ’Sladed version of the Lyriq’s visage; just as the gas-powered Escalade announces its arrival with a massive, in-your-face grille, the Escalade IQ does it…

It’s difficult not to be a snob about entry-level pony cars. We’ve been conditioned to believe more is more when it comes to these distinctly American vehicles. More cylinders equals more power equals more speed equals more noise equals more fun. But for the first time since its SVO-badged ’80s predecessor, the new 2024 Ford Mustang EcoBoost makes a serious attempt at upending that paradigm. At first glance, the entry point to the new seventh-generation Mustang doesn’t seem worth getting excited about. Underneath the S650’s tauter, sharper edges and revamped screen-filled cabin sits a modified version of the S550 Mustang’s platform. It gets upgraded brakes, a new steering rack, and some suspension adjustments. Under the hood, a new EcoBoost 2.3-liter turbocharged I-4 only gets a 5-horsepower bump to 315 hp,…

More than any other concern folks may have about EVs, they want to know what happens when one runs out of battery. The simple answer is that it will stop moving. What people really want to know, though, is what happens after that. We decided to find out. If you read nothing else, read this: Don’t do it. If you have the range to reach a charger, no matter how slow, go there. If you do not have the range to reach a charger, pull over while you still have some battery left. Running an EV until it’s completely dead will only make your day worse and the recovery take longer. We’ll get to why, exactly, in just a bit. The guinea pig here is a 2022 Rivian R1T, the…

The 12-cylinder engine has long been the ultimate in luxury car powertrains. It provides an abundance of power, smoothly, quietly, and seemingly without end. Unfortunately for the classic 12, emissions standards are tightening around its throttle bores like a noose, and its conspicuous fuel consumption is rapidly falling out of vogue. Its demise is being sped along by the happy circumstance that many of the things 12 cylinders can do, electric motors can do better. So it is that Bentley announced the end of the W-12, which has been the centerpiece of its cars since 2003. But rather than let the big W slip quietly into oblivion, the marque is giving this monumental engine the hero’s send-off it so rightly deserves. Bentley invited us for one last W-12-powered blowout, a…

2023 Ford F-150 Lightning XLT “EV life in the Midwest is nothing like EV life in Southern California.”Frank Markus Base Price $65,369 As Tested $85,779 EPA City/Hwy/Comb Fuel Econ 78/63/70 mpg-e EPA Range, Comb 320 miles Vehicle layout Front and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door truck Motor type Permanent-magnet electric Power (SAE net) 580 hp Toque (SAE net) 775 lb-ft Transmissions 1-speed automatic Curb weight (F/R dist) 6,784 lb (50/50%) Wheelbase 145.5 in 0-60 mph 4.0 sec Quarter mile 12.8 sec @ 104.8 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 117 ft Lateral acceleration 0.78 g (avg) MT figure eight 27.0 sec @ 0.69 g (avg) If you’re sensing déjà vu, don’t distress. This is indeed our second yearlong Lightning. The Lariat model is the one we specced, built, and paid for after dropping a $500 deposit on the day of its public launch. This more modestly equipped XLT…

2022 Lucid Air “To prepare you for the coming winter, we explored how our Air does in single-digit temperatures.”Eric Tingwall Service Life 3 months/4,218 miles Average Fuel Econ 2.2 mi/kWh Unresolved problems None Maintenance cost $0 Normal wear $0 Base price $180,650 As tested $180,650 EPA City/Hwy/Comb fuel econ 109/110/109 mpg-e The morning was so frigid I couldn’t set the tire pressure on our Air without retreating inside halfway through the job. Within minutes of stepping outside, the cold clamped down on my gloved fingertips like an iron vise. By the time I finished inflating the second tire, I didn’t have the dexterity to thread the cap back on the valve stem. It was 6 degrees at 9 a.m., and our Air was waking up from the coldest night it had seen since arriving in Michigan.…

Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius bristled momentarily when asked whether the three-pointed star was truly committed to producing nothing but electric vehicles by 2030. “What we have communicated is that all brand-new vehicle architectures from 2025 forward will be electric only,” he said, eyes flashing. “We have not announced the date when the last internal combustion engine Mercedes-Benz will go away.” If that sounds a bit like the boss is having a two-way bet, you’re right. The company that invented the internal-combustion-powered automobile almost 140 years ago has pivoted hard toward electrics, in 2021 announcing it will offer an electric-powered alternative for every model Mercedes makes by decade’s end, spending about $45 billion in the process. That date target sounded a long way off at the time, but the end of…