Indholdsfortegnelse for September 2023 i MotorTrend

Enthusiasts can be forgiven for having ignored the Ford Ranger. From 1983 to 2011, it soldiered on with minimal updating and no performance variants, a mantle assumed by the global Ranger introduced here halfway through its life cycle in 2019. Well, the new Ranger Raptor is a wake-up call to start paying attention. The U.S. Ranger Raptor—this new-gen truck has been on sale for a bit elsewhere—gets a version of the Bronco Raptor’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6 but with 13 fewer horses and 10 fewer lb-ft due to plumbing changes. But don’t fret. Pickup boxes are way lighter than glassed-in SUV bodies, so Ford says the Ranger Raptor weighs about 400 pounds less. And as in the Braptor, this engine is tuned to “reward the revs,” making 90 percent of…

Is it worth considering the 2023 Prius Prime, given how good the standard car is? Abso-freakin’-lutely. This plug-in hybrid drives great, and with up to 44 miles of electric driving range, it could use vastly less fuel than its non-plug-in counterpart. Combining a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with electric motors powered by a 13.6-kWh battery, the Prius Prime produces 220 hp and 139 lb-ft of torque. With 26 more hp than the standard Prius and a whopping 99 hp more than the outgoing Prime, that makes it the most powerful Prius ever. It’s also the quickest Prius ever. Its 0–60 acceleration takes 6.4 seconds, and it crosses the quarter mile in 15.0 seconds at 95.4 mph. The standard Prius hits 60 in 7.2 seconds and the quarter in 15.5 seconds at…

If you’re anything like us, from time to time you catch yourself marveling at how quickly time passes. And being car enthusiasts who follow the automotive industry’s evolution, time seems to fly even more when models that once seemed far, far away are now common sights on everyday streets. So once again it’s time for our annual look at the latest crop of significant future cars. From new brands to new interpretations of legends, there’s more than enough enticing product in the pipe to inspire you to begin setting aside money today. After all, these vehicles will simply be the cars of now before you know it. 2024 Acura ZDX WHAT IT IS Acura is bringing back the ZDX nameplate, but this time it’s a whole different car. The ZDX…

You can practically hear Yosemite Sam shouting, “Thar’s gold in that thar dirt!” as automakers shovel out new off-road versions of seemingly every truck, SUV, and crossover. Americans are so hungry for these tough mudders that a full pickup model line now includes, at a minimum, an off-road option package, a better-equipped off-road trim, and an off-road halo model. For this comparison, we collected the most promising trucks from the middle tier, the Silverado 1500 LT Trail Boss, F-150 Tremor, 1500 Rebel G/T, and Tundra TRD Pro. We benched the GMC Sierra 1500 AT4 because it’s so similar to the Chevy but carries a nearly $6,000 price premium. The Nissan Titan Pro-4X was left out because it didn’t stand a chance. All the trucks in this test are outfitted with…

“Over the course of a year, the Seltos proved to be a rugged, refined runabout.”Brian Vance Service Life 14 months/16,851 miles Average Fuel Econ 23.1 mpg Base Price $26,610 As Tested $26,915 OPTIONS Carpeted floormats ($130), cargo mat ($95), cargo tray ($80) Problem Areas None Maintenance Cost $141.19 (2x inspection, oil change) Normal Wear $0 3-Year Residual Value* $26,300 (85%) Recalls None *IntelliChoice data; assumes 42,000 miles at the end of three years. When the Kia Seltos entered our long-term test fleet, we weren’t sure what to make of it. Sized like the subcompact Soul but styled similarly to the larger Sportage, the Seltos split the difference between cutesy crossovers and more traditional off-road SUVs. Although the Seltos is primarily designed to roam asphalt, we were happy to find that no matter what we threw at…

During a recent road trip, I watched the driver of a $160,000-plus Lucid Air attempt to charge his car at a broken EV charger, in the rain, behind a gas station off Interstate 5 between Los Angeles and Sacramento. I was inside a fast-food restaurant across the parking lot as the poor guy struggled to connect the charger to his car. He repositioned his Air twice so the Combined Charging System (CCS) chargers on each side could reach the port—unaware the system itself was broken. There were no clear signs the charger was offline. The screen didn’t show an error message, and any hastily made signs from other travelers attempting to convey the status had been washed away by the rain. I know because just a few minutes earlier, I…

We’ve been buzzing about the ID Buzz—the all-electric return of VW’s iconic Microbus—for so long we expected the novelty to have worn off by now. Yet we were genuinely thrilled to see the long-wheelbase, three-row version. The big news: It’s 9.8 inches longer than Europe’s two-row version, with all of that in the wheelbase, making it roughly the same size as VW’s Atlas SUV. The sliding doors are 7.6 inches longer, providing improved access to the new third row, and feature plug-style side windows that slide rearward electrically. We expected the long Buzz to have the pedestrian look of an ordinary minivan, but it doesn’t; in fact, it might have even more Microbus character. In the middle row, the U.S.-spec ID Buzz will offer captain’s chairs or a three-place 70/30…

The SUV third row. Traditionally, only short people dared venture back there, as it’s almost always a cramped penalty box. Lately, though, several big (but not too big) three-row SUVs have stepped into the breach in an effort to make things less onerous out back and from behind the wheel, with the all-new 2024 Grand Highlander being Toyota’s take on the theme. Sure, the regular Highlander, with which the Grand Highlander shares some componentry, a powertrain, and a name(ish), also has a third row. But it’s not nearly as grand as the one in the Grand Highlander, which was designed to be a seven- or eight-passenger SUV. It has roughly a 4.0-inch-longer wheelbase and is roughly 4.0 inches longer overall than the biggest Highlander, and it’s some 2.0 inches taller…

Kevin Czinger reckons cars can be designed and made like smartphones, with brands developing gotta-have-it products with help from artificially intelligent and machine-learned supercomputers, with construction farmed out to a deglobalized constellation of contract manufacturers. Additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, is key to his vision and is the mission of his company, Divergent 3D. When I first covered Czinger’s idea in 2017, his vehicle architecture involved 3D-printed aluminum nodes connecting commodity carbon-fiber tubes cut to length. Today the tubes are out, and the nodes have evolved into vastly smarter structures like subframes (for the Aston Martin DBR22), suspension components, a transmission case, and perhaps soon an engine block. The Czinger 21C hypercar we’ve ridden in is a glamorous proof of concept for a broader vision where low-investment, low-carbon manufacturing enables…

Perhaps nothing screws with your mind more than whipping a supercar around the bend of a racetrack and aiming not for the next apex but at the dirt track running perpendicular to the course and leading off into the infield. One moment you’re listening for the telltale signs of rubber breaking away from asphalt, tires at the limit of adhesion—the next, there is no such sound, only the V-10 singing behind you as you sling sideways into a sandy curve. Welcome to the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, perhaps the most brain-bending supercar ever built. Birthed over dinner (and no doubt drinks) at the tail end of Urus development, the Sterrato is what happens when supercar engineers are allowed to stop chasing numbers and given freedom to do something different. A sort…

As part of its 60th anniversary celebration, Lamborghini invited us to its Sant’Agata Bolognese factory for a day of driving in a half-dozen of its most iconic cars. Here’s what they were like. 400 GT 2+2 Complex and enigmatic, like Ferruccio Lamborghini himself. 1966-1968, 250 units No car will bring you closer to Ferruccio Lamborghini’s spirit than the 400 GT. This, after all, is the perfected version of the 350 GT, his vision of the ultimate grand tourer. The interior is a cocoon of leather-lined simplicity, cozy but not cramped, with an elegant wood-rimmed wheel and beautiful detailing. The driving position is made for the tall and thin; being short and fat, I have the steering wheel in my chest and my nose practically smudging the windshield. No matter; the…

“We bought a Maverick and will spend the next year trying to prove it’s a real truck.”Erik Johnson Base Price $25,950 As Tested $30,355 EPA City/HWY/Comb Fuel Econ 40/33/37 mpg SPECS VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door truck ENGINE 2.5L port-injected Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus permanent-magnet electric motors POWER (SAE NET) 162 hp @ 5,600 rpm (gas), 126 hp (elec); 191 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 155 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm (gas), 173 lb-ft (elec) TRANSMISSION Cont variable auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 3,762 lb (57/43%) 0-60 MPH 7.7 sec QUARTER MILE 15.9 sec @ 89.8 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 113 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.81 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.8 sec @ 0.64 g (avg) We warmed up to the Ford Maverick from the moment we laid hands on it at our 2022 Truck of the Year competition, where it fell…

What’s it like to have one of the best jobs in the world? Jérôme Haslin smiles. “You think my job is one of the best?” Well, if you love fast cars and consider that for the past 32 years Haslin’s work days consist of taking supercars and hypercars to their limits and beyond, then yes, absolutely. The mouthwatering roster of cars Haslin has driven includes every single Ferrari since the 355; Porsche’s Carrera GT, 918, and every 911 GT2 and GT3 of the past 20 years; Bugatti’s Veyron and Chiron; Pagani’s Zonda; and most of Christian von Koenigsegg’s outlandish creations. He just finished with the Aston Martin DB12 and is spending a lot of time driving two Ferrari prototypes code-named P167 and P250, the upcoming replacements for the 812 Superfast…

As Aston Martin celebrates its 110th anniversary, what better way to party than to launch a new DB—especially as the famed DB moniker is itself 75 years old this year? Meet the new DB12, which Aston says is “the world’s first super tourer. Grand is not enough.” And when you look at some of the headline numbers, it’s difficult to disagree: 671 horsepower, 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 202 mph. The DB12 doesn’t look all that different than the gorgeous DB11, but 80 percent of the car is allegedly new. Much of the development focused on performance and handling hardware, and on stuff that Aston Martin hasn’t always done exceptionally well. The DB11-based bonded-aluminum body structure is 7 percent stiffer overall, with the stiffness across…

Many folks want one car that can do everything. If that’s your goal, it’s hard to find a better fit than the 2024 Porsche Cayenne. For this heavy refresh, Porsche engineers refined the Cayenne’s personality to a singular essence that permeates every iteration. Some have more power, and others get better fuel economy. But they are otherwise identical in character, evinced by the SUVs’ reactions in corners and the way the weight transfers and their bodies roll. It’s the same from a base model to the hair-on-fire Turbo GT. Consider the Cayenne E-Hybrid plug-in V-6 and the V-8-powered Cayenne S. Somewhat unusually, they make about the same power—463 hp for the PHEV and 468 for the V-8—illustrating exactly what we’re talking about. All this is a gift to the conflicted…

How can a movie be based on a video game when the game in question doesn’t have a story? It’s a fair question. Gran Turismo is a racing simulator game. There’s no quest for a magical relic or a city to save from aliens, so how can it serve as the basis of a major motion picture? The thing is, the Gran Turismo film isn’t a “video game movie” but is instead based on a true story. In 2006, former Nissan Europe executive Darren Cox—played by Orlando Bloom in the movie—wondered if a player’s skills in Gran Turismo could translate to real life. As Cox was known for, he soon parlayed that theory into a marketing opportunity by creating the GT Academy, a worldwide competition to find the fastest Gran…

Everyone Loves the ’90s Wow, your July edition is great! I remember this era vividly, especially the Saturn story. I was involved in an advanced design studio at GM to explore themes for a coupe follow-up to the red sedan shown in the article. We didn’t have to hold anything from that model, which was way ahead of what would become the second-gen Toyota Prius, with the aero hatchback and a vertical backlight. My coupe theme was a start, but the final product done in the newly formed Saturn studio under Kip Wasenko was much sportier in character. I attended the brand’s launch in Detroit with speakers Roger Smith and Ross Perot. I had a Saturn coupe as a company car, and it was a blast to drive with the…

I’m heading for the hills near Modena, Italy, in a screaming yellow Lamborghini Jalpa, chassis No. 419, the final one built and bearing Ferruccio Lamborghini’s fading signature on its blue leather dash. I’m squirming around to get comfortable—Lambos are not built for short people, and the tiny offset pedal box means I have to sit diagonally—when a silver Volvo SUV blows past me and the maroon Lambo Urus I’m following. “Passed by a Volvo,” I say to Massimo Delbo, automotive historian and my co-pilot for the day. “I have an excuse, but those guys in the Urus should be ashamed.” Delbo picks up his walkie-talkie and repeats my snark in Italian to the occupants of the super SUV. A static-crackled reply comes back, and as Delbo translates it—“If he wants…

The legend differs widely in the telling, and it usually goes like this: Ferruccio Lamborghini had problems with the clutches in his Ferraris. After driving repeatedly to Maranello to have them replaced, he demanded to see Enzo Ferrari. Some say Ferrari refused him, but Lamborghini claimed he delivered his message in person: “Ferrari, your cars are rubbish!” The reported wording of Ferrari’s reply varies; according to Lamborghini, it was, “You may be able to drive a tractor, but you will never be able to handle a Ferrari properly.” “This,” Lamborghini later said, “was the point where I finally decided to make a perfect car.” It’s a great story. But did it really happen? Retired Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni told Car & Driver he heard it repeatedly from the boss…

“The Car of the Year–winning G90 comes with almost everything.”Alexander Stoklosa Base Price $99,795 As Tested $101,295 EPA City/HWY/Comb Fuel Econ 17/24/20 mpg VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 3.5L twin-turbo + elec supercharged port- and direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6 POWER (SAE NET) 409 hp @ 5,800 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 405 lb-ft @ 1,300 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed auto CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,136 lb (51/49%) 0-60 MPH 5.1 sec QUARTER MILE 13.7 sec @ 101.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 117 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.83 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 26.2 sec @ 0.68 g (avg) Who wouldn’t lust after a six-figure luxury car? You see a Tesla Model S waft past and get that pang of jealousy, imagining the palatial home with the manicured lawn where it parks. Or maybe that huge Mercedes-Benz S-Class slumbers beneath a swanky downtown…