If you’ve been reading my columns long enough, you’ll know I’m a big fan of the full-size, “Nimitz Class” cars GM built from 1971 to ’76, from Caprices to Delta 88 Royales to Fleetwood Talismans. They were the last GM hardtops, and the last GM full-sizers that were available in every basic body style: coupe, sedan, convertible, and station wagon.

Buicks were still pretty big in 1976—in fact, this was last call for truly unapologetic room and length. In 1977 all the big Buicks—indeed, all big GM cars—would be downsized to tidier dimensions, except for the Olds Toronado and Cadillac Eldorado, who had to wait until the 1979 model year.

There were three versions of Electra for 1976: The Electra 225, the Electra Limited, and the super plush Electra Park Avenue, the last of which had a center console—though the transmission lever was still mounted on the steering column. The Park Avenue was available as a sedan only.

I have seen two very nice Park Avenues too, and will be writing at least one of them up sometime, but that’s for another day!

Technically, the Limited was also an Electra 225, though it was not badged as such. The lowest priced Electra was the 225 coupe, at $6367. GM built 18,442. Limited coupes started at $6689 and were more popular, to the tune of 28,395 units sold.

Most popular Electra of all was the Limited four-door hardtop, with 51,067 cars built at a starting price of $6852. For comparison, the priciest ’76 LeSabre was the Custom four-door hardtop, at $5166. LeSabres looked more like their flossier Electra brethren this year as well, adding the quad rectangular lights the Electras first gained in 1975.

As one would expect, there were plenty of standard features on the Electras, including the 455-cubic-inch V-8, Turbo Hydra-matic automatic transmission, power front disc/rear drum brakes, High Energy ignition, power windows, and Custom seat and shoulder belts. The Limited added a two-way power seat, a 60/40 divided front seat upholstered in cloth, a quartz crystal digital clock, and of course the much more luxurious seats and door panels. The 225 interior was nice too, but it was a bit plain in comparison.

And there were still many optional extras, as you’d expect of Detroit in the ’70s. Such as the Landau roof seen on our featured example. You could also get steel-belted whitewall tires (steel-belted blackwalls were standard), automatic level control, a four-note horn (these were loud and well worth the extra charge), carpet savers, a litter container, power antenna, automatic climate control, power door locks, power trunk release, and more.

The seats, of course, were really plush. While they perhaps were not as scientifically fashioned as Volvo’s famous orthopedically designed chairs (I can speak to those seats too, as a former Volvo owner) they were definitely cushy. It was the kind of car that was pretty much like driving around in your living room.

And if you were on a business trip to Omaha and the Holidome was full up for the night, the Limited’s seats made for rather nice first-class sleeping quarters—in a pinch!

I saw our featured car at the annual car show held indoors each January in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. I had seen the car before a couple of times, but hadn’t gotten any really good pictures. It was interesting, of course, due to its color. I recall seeing it the previous summer and thinking if it wasn’t the original color, the paint was done very well.

Well as it turns out, the car came out of the factory wearing this color. I did recognize the color, but believe it was limited to the smaller Buicks like the Skyhawk (Buick’s version of the Chevrolet Monza 2+2) and Skylark coupe, sedan, and hatchback. But I was fairly certain it was not available on the LeSabre/Electra/Estate Wagon.

Shortly before I began this column, I saw the car advertised on my local Marketplace: “All original 76 Electra Limited. 2 door, 455/400. 37K original miles. Factory optioned “Firecracker Orange” paint only offered in 76.” So the car apparently was special-ordered in this color. Of course, back then, you could do such things. Today, not so much!

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I’m intrigued by oddball automobiles, cars that are a departure from the ordinary. Machines that are of special interest because they differ from their automotive siblings in significant—though sometimes subtle—ways. The ’66 Chevrolet Impala pictured here is just such a car.

Because this Impala is equipped with Chevrolet’s L72 425-horsepower, 427-cubic-inch big-block engine, it would be a rare and desirable machine even if it was just one of the run of 1856 L72 full-size cars that Chevrolet produced for the U.S. market. But what makes it extremely rare and absolutely fascinating, at least to a fan of unique vehicles, is that it’s one of fewer than than 39 Chevrolets built in Canada with the brand’s top-of-the-line, big-block engine. I say “fewer than” because while a total of 39 L72-equipped ’66 B-body GM cars were built in Canada, several of them were Pontiacs!

Now this Canadian-built Chevy wouldn’t be of special interest if it was identical to a similarly-equipped car built stateside. But it’s not. According to Leigh Scott, a Chevy B-body restoration expert and retired General Motors executive, the car is unique in various ways. And over the course of four years that Scott has spent restoring it to showroom-new condition, he documented some of the little things that make it an obstinately different Canadian.

The foreign-born Impala belongs to Jim Adams of Edmonton, Alberta. Adams is a collector of big-block Chevrolets, primarily the rare and powerful L72 models. In addition to the car pictured here, he owns five more, but none is as unique as this car because they were built in the U.S. He told me that the Impala’s original owner ordered the car from a Chevy dealer in Canada, and then drove to the GM Canada factory in Oshawa, Ontario, to pick it up.

A few years later, that first owner died in a motorcycle accident. His Impala apparently sat for a while until another Canadian named Bob Ransom bought it from the estate. At the time, the car had clocked 46,000 miles. At some point, it was repainted silver. Unlike most U.S. L72 Chevrolets, it was not an Impala Super Sport but rather an Impala with SS trim, the top-of-the-line offering in Canada. The Impala Super Sport wasn’t specifically offered north of the border, although the distinction is more a matter of semantics than content.

Ransom eventually decided to sell the car and listed it in Autotrader. Adams saw the listing and called on it, only to learn that a U.S. buyer had already committed. He appealed to Ransom’s patriotism, telling him the car ought to remain in Canada. That worked, and Adams was soon the owner of the rare Impala. It sat in storage for another eight years before Leigh Scott was commissioned to restore it.

Scott is a perfectionist. After completely disassembling the car, he discovered that many components were marked “Made in Canada.” Some of those parts differed from those he had seen on the U.S.-built Impalas he had restored, and many of those parts were in distressed condition. The easy way out would be to replace those with reproductions or new parts that are widely available for U.S.-built Impalas, but that would render the car inauthentic. To both ensure that the car would be restored to showroom condition and to keep it purely Canadian, Scott decided that he would repair and restore those Canadian components.

The L72 427 engine was seized after having been in storage for so many years, but all castings and internal parts were found to be identical to U.S.-spec parts. The engine had originally come straight from GM’s Tonawanda, New York, plant where both Canadian and U.S. engines were built. Thus, only a conventional—but exacting—rebuild was required.

Some of the external engine components, on the other hand, were found to be exclusively Canadian. For example, the ignition coil was in an unpainted aluminum can and was labeled “Delco, Made in Canada.” U.S. spec coils are in steel cans and painted black. Thus, Scott retained the original-equipment coil and polished its aluminum can until it shined like new.

Other components were nearly identical to U.S. parts but were likewise marked “Made in Canada.” Many of these were disassembled, glass beaded, then replated and reassembled to make them as good as new.

Every nut, bolt and washer was removed and catalogued. Scott was surprised to see that no lock washers were used in the Canadian build. Thus the Impala was reassembled without lock washers. The bolts and nuts were not identical to those found on U.S. cars, so when it became apparent that some were missing, Scott asked a Canadian friend to visit a junkyard and retrieve some fasteners from another GM car that had been built at the Oshawa plant.

Although the Impala had been painted silver, it had to be restored to its original Aztec Bronze. And it was Aztec Bronze all over. The firewall of a U.S.-built car would have been sprayed with black paint, but the firewall of this Impala had been painted in body color. Scott surmises that GM Canada did that so they wouldn’t have to set up a different paint system for the firewall.

As he disassembled the car, he saw that the trim plate had been sloppily masked and hit with overspray when the firewall was painted. A photograph of the trim plate was taken before disassembly to record the size and position of the tape lines, so Scott was able to duplicate the original overspray on the restored trim plate when the car was repainted.

That’s called attention to detail, but that’s what Scott is known for. And because he’s restored more than a dozen full-size Chevrolets with big-block powertrains, he knows every inch of those cars, so he was able to discern ways in which the Canadian car differed and preserve those details.

Scott’s restoration process has been documented in a previous Hagerty feature, and suffice it to say that it’s very complete.  The bare body is stripped of everything in a tank of alkaline stripper, then it’s electrocoated with primer. Every piece of the automobile, including the smallest fastener, is made new before reassembly.

“Of all the cars I’ve restored, this was the most challenging,” said Scott. “I could have put U.S. parts on it, but it wouldn’t be original. The owner appreciates that I’ve gone through all this trouble to preserve the car’s Canadian identity.”

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Pontiac’s beautiful 1964 prototype, unceremoniously dubbed XP-833 during its development, is one of our favorite concepts out of GM’s talented design department of the era. Just two were built, one with a retractable soft top, and one with a removable fastback hard top. The latter is currently up for sale with an asking price of $1.2 million.

We featured the soft-top XP-833 a few years ago and our author got to spend some time behind the wheel. Rather than a show car that was cobbled together to be a static sculpture, the prototypes, while rushed, were built to highlight how such a car could be affordably built using GM’s vast parts bin. As such, they’re quite well-built and roadworthy.

The car’s overall look is reminiscent of the C3 Corvette that debuted for the 1968 model year, and it also features a fiberglass body. However, some significant cues differ. Up front, its hidden headlights seemed to preview the Opel GT, which concealed its beams by rolling the housings longitudinally. The rear of the car transitions into a tail that more closely resembles the 1970 Firebird. The example up for sale is the hard-top version, featuring a sleek removable fastback, another detail that differs from the Stingray, which featured a tunneled backlight in coupe form and a removable hardtop that closely mimicked the convertible top. We must say, the fastback suits it.

Of the two prototypes, this is the only one powered by Pontiac’s OHC inline-six engine. The overhead cam architecture was still novel for an American car engine at the time, and Pontiac was the only GM division to use it. It made its production debut in the 1966 Tempest and was also used in the Firebird. Never as muscular as the V-8, the OHC engine was still capable, and Sprint versions produced more than 200 hp. It would have made an excellent base engine considering the XP-833 was expected to weigh less than 2500 pounds.

All too often, GM gets vehicles ironed out just before pulling the plug on production. In the case of the XP-833, its designers got the lines just right and it never even got the chance to hit showrooms. It’s easy to imagine a Pontiac lineup that included this shapely convertible as its halo car as a lighter, inline-six alternative to the more muscular Corvette, and of course a V-8 would have been optional as long as John DeLorean hat his way. This beautiful experiment would be the centerpiece of any Pontiac fan’s collection, or anyone who values mid-century American design. We hope it finds a proper home.

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In the last seven decades, General Motors has bestowed 113 million small-block V-8 engines upon us—nearly one per American household. Given this engine’s phenomenal success, it’s no surprise that its fundamental architecture and pushrod-actuated, two-valve technology have been stretched and transformed into ambitious projects far exceeding original displacements and cylinder count. A few of these engines have been featured in high-profile builds or found their way into boats or airplanes, but all of them displayed serious ingenuity.

V-12s Then and Now

After running Andy Granatelli’s Indy racing engine program and then collaborating with Carroll Shelby for several years, Ryan Falconer opened his own shop in Culver City, California, in 1966. That year, the Ford Racing V-8 he built powered Graham Hill to an Indy 500 victory. In 2011, Falconer relocated to Chino Valley, Arizona, where this 83-year-old motor maestro is still at it.

Falconer unveiled his V-12, based on the first-generation Chevy small-block V-8, back in 1990. A Corvette powered by this engine topped 200 mph, and another Falconer V-12 propelled the Thunder Mustang, a ¾-scale P-51 aircraft. Prices started at $85,000.

Falconer retained Chevy’s 4.40-inch bore spacing, single camshaft, and pushrod-operated two valves per cylinder. His block and heads were cast aluminum, limiting weight to 520 pounds. This V-12’s crankshaft was machined from a chunk of billet steel and secured in place by a girdle incorporating all seven main bearing caps. A few of Falconer’s engines were supercharged or turbocharged, and dry-sump lubrication was also available. Displacements ranged from 8.6 to 9.8 liters, with naturally aspirated power outputs up to 640 hp at 4500 rpm. One supercharged 8.2-liter V-12 produced nearly 1000 hp in a marine application.

In addition to their power potential, every V-12 has perfect primary and secondary harmonic balance. The only flaw in V-12s descending from 90-degree V-8s is their unequal firing intervals. Instead of a power pulse every 60 degrees of crank rotation, the cylinders light off every 30 or 90 degrees. The Dodge Viper’s V-10 also suffered from this fault, though it never stunted that rabblerouser’s personality. Of course, GM understood the virtues of a 60-degree bank angle, which is why that arrangement was used in V-12–powered GMC trucks in the 1960s.

Over 35 years, Falconer built and sold 55 of his V-12s for auto, marine, and aircraft applications. Currently, he’s focused on selling the Falconer L6, a 5.0-liter DOHC 24-valve inline-six originally built by GM for motorsports.

The V-12 from Down Under

Proving that excellence can have global reach, two Australian entrepreneurs have taken up where Falconer left off. In 2018, Matt and Shane Corish’s Race Cast Engineering in Melbourne began offering V-12s based on GM’s fourth-generation small-block LS V-8. This March, one of their engines sparkled at Detroit’s Autorama under the hood of the TwelveAir sports coupe built by Kindig-It Design of Salt Lake City, Utah. Owners Dave and Tracey Maxwell, of Saltsburg, Pennsylvania, carted home the $10,000 Ridler award won by their TwelveAir creation.

Shane Corish notes, “GM’s superb small-block V-8 provided the perfect starting point for our V-12.” Race Cast uses modern 3D printing technology to cast its blocks in aluminum or iron. (The latter is preferable for boosted applications.) While standard GM 4.40-inch bore spacing is maintained, extra head bolts have been added for improved durability, and the sides of the cast aluminum oil pan are a full inch thick to increase this V-12’s longitudinal stiffness. A Haltech Nexus electronic control unit runs the ignition and fuel injection, while induction air flow is regulated by a standard GM throttle body.

The Aussie V-12s are available as a $49,300 engine builder’s kit, with the block, heads, crankshaft, camshaft, and gaskets included. A smaller-bore aluminum block can be had for an additional $5000.  Power outputs range from 750 hp in the base naturally aspirated 9.5-liter (580-cubic-inch) V-12 up to 1000-plus hp with a 3.90-inch stroke that increases displacement to 9.9-liters (607 cubic inches). Consider this merely the starting point, because Race Cast’s customers have begun toying with boosted engines. One has a quad-turbo build under way, and another has added a pair of Magnuson superchargers.

Small-Block–Based V-16s

Around 2000, GM realized that clever engineering could double its small-block V-8 into a viable V-16. In 2003, the Cadillac Sixteen concept bowed as the center piece of that division’s Art and Science initiative. This effort to nudge Cadillac’s prestige upward evoked the V-16 limos the brand sold from 1929 through 1937.

Tom Stephens, GM’s powertrain operations vice president, guided the XV16’s design and development with an eye toward production. Prototype castings were sourced in Germany, and Katech Performance, the Corvette racing program’s venerable partner, conducted the dyno testing. The goal was a nice round 1000 horsepower and 1000 lb-ft of torque. To reach these lofty heights, the 6.2-liter LS3 V-8’s bore and stroke were both increased 6mm, yielding a 13.6-liter/830-cubic-inch V-16 that weighed a reasonable 695 pounds.

In addition to batting 1000 in output, GM’s XV16 could run on regular fuel and featured “displacement on demand,” which allowed it to cruise on as few as four cylinders. Given full boot, it was allegedly capable of smoking the rear tires of a GMC Yukon durability test vehicle … in three gears.

Unfortunately, GM’s fortunes turned downward shortly after the Sixteen’s arrival. Imports thrived at the domestic brands’ expense. What GM needed more than a Rolls or Bentley beater was a better Chevy Cavalier to fight entry-level Japanese cars. In mid-2009, GM filed for bankruptcy, acknowledging debts twice its assets. By then the remarkable XV16 was but a fond memory.

Another Unhappy Ending

At two 2017 Dubai International motor shows, a budding enterprise called Devel unveiled a sports car prototype called the Devel SIXTEEN with over-the-moon aspirations. Its powerplant was said to be a 12.3-liter V-16 equipped with four turbochargers, boosting output over 5000 horsepower while producing 3757 lb-ft of torque.

The feeling, according to Devel, was that of a road-going jet fighter with a 300-mph top speed. While the flagship car was not intended for road use and no price was attached to it, two additional versions were also planned for production: a $1.6-million 2000-hp V-8 edition and a $1.8-million quad-turbo V-16 delivering 4000 horsepower.

According to Devel boss Rashid Al-Attari, the SIXTEEN’s molded carbon-fiber body would be provided by the Italian coachbuilder Manifattura Automobili, and Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus in New York would construct the space frame chassis. He also credited Steve Morris Engines, a firm located in Muskegon, Michigan, as the engine supplier.

SME has been in business since 2010. Boss Morris filled us in with a few details: “We built and tested a prototype engine which shared the 4.40-inch bore center dimension and basic configuration of GM’s Gen III LS small-block V-8. With a mild camshaft and 20 psi of boost, it produced 3006 horsepower. With 30 psi of boost, it topped 4000 horsepower. Upped to 36 psi, it made 4515 hp, which was all our dynamometer could handle. More than 5000 horsepower was definitely possible here.”

There is video footage of Devels running 100-or-so-mph on test tracks but those prototypes were fitted with Corvette V-8s, not the anticipated V-16. Notes Morris, “Our experimental engine has never been fitted to a car. Unfortunately, Devel seems to have fallen off the face of the earth. From our engine-development perspective, the project ended the same year it began—2017.”

While Devel’s V-16 stretch appears to be unrealistically ambitious, let us ponder two alternatives. The Corvette ZR1 due later this year will build on the Z06’s LT6 5.5-liter DOHC 32-valve V-8 by adding two turbochargers and intercoolers. That new LT7 small-block will bring an estimated 850 hp to the party.

And to all the wildly creative engineers in the audience, we suggest you aim your most advanced CAD/CAM weapons at what we’ll code name LT12 and LT16: engines rising out of the inherent greatness of the Corvette’s LT7 V-8. An 8.2-liter V-12 should produce 1300 hp, while the quad-turbo 10.9-liter V-16 should make 1700 hp … without straining. All the horsepower addicts pondering Devel worship will surely prefer these heavenly alternatives.

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Let’s get one thing straight: I only have a rudimentary knowledge of Opel. My introduction to its existence was probably circa 1991 when, as an avid watcher of the Nick at Nite cable-TV channel, I was introduced to the classic show, Get Smart. Of course, Max’s Sunbeam Tiger is better known, but the last couple of seasons he traded it in for a gold Opel GT, Germany’s Mini-Me 1968 Corvette Stingray. Oh, and my friend Bryan Saunders owned a Manta and used it as his daily driver for a few years in the ’90s, believe it or not. He loved that car and would be thrilled to find another one! Funny thing, I remember seeing it in traffic a few times, but had no idea then that it was his car.

For those not in the know, Opel was GM’s German division for many decades until it was ultimately sold to Fiat in 2021. Opel typically had a lot in common with Vauxhall in England—another GM division, as I’m sure most would guess. While Opel was a part of GM, the marque had no equivalents to Caprice Classic convertibles, Fleetwood Talismans, or the like.

But Opel did have some pretty Broughamy offerings, such as the Diplomat and Kapitan. Those larger models, however, never were sold in the U.S.

The Manta was the sporty, affordable coupe in the lineup, and like American offerings of the time (like the Cougar and Firebird), it was available with myriad options, from plain to fancy. Its closest competitor in the home market was likely the Ford Capri, a similarly sporty coupe.

If I may digress a moment, my dad had a Capri, a bright yellow ’74 with a terra cotta-colored interior, a V-6 engine, and a stick shift. When he got a new company car, my mom drove it for a while, but she wasn’t thrilled with the manual transmission (she preferred an automatic), so it was traded in on a near-new ’73 Volvo 1800ES sports wagon.

Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Opels. The Manta first came out in late 1970. Like the Ford Capri, it was based on a family sedan beneath the swoopy sheet metal—in this case, the Opel Ascona. I’m not sure of all the variants in Germany, but based on my 1972 Opel brochure, available U.S. models were the Rallye and Sport Coupe. As you’d expect, the Rallye had a blacked-out hood, side stripes, sport wheels with bright trim rings and side stripes, and other extras.

Interestingly, at least in 1972, these cars were not badged Manta but as “1900 Sport Coupe” or “1900 Rallye.” In the same vein, the Ascona was simply called the 1900 in the States.

For ’73, the U.S. Opel line was reshuffled a bit. The “baby Corvette” Opel GT made its last appearance. And the 1900 Sport Coupes became Mantas, just like their siblings sold in Germany. The Manta and Manta Rally reprised their places, but there was a new model: the Manta Luxus.

And as you’d guess, the Luxus was the fancy-schmancy version. As the brochure relayed, “Manta Luxus … an inexpensive, plush European luxury car at a very practical price. And a brand new idea of what a luxury car should be.

“With the same advanced mechanical features that have won it acclaim from the world’s automotive experts. But inside its roomy interior you’ll find a velvety soft upholstery that doesn’t look at all like a little economy car.

“If you’ve always wanted the comfort and luxury you only seem to be able to find in big cars, but like the economy and handling of a small sporty car … we’re happy we found you.”

To me, it seemed like the Luxus was kind of a baby Cutlass Supreme, with velour seats, wood (or at least, wood-toned) trim, and additional bright trim on the exterior. Per the brochure, other features included an electric clock, custom headliner, carpeted trunk, sport steering wheel, and a chrome exhaust tip.

A vinyl top was available but optional, as were a sun roof, automatic transmission, air conditioning, and whitewall tires. A 1.9-liter four-cylinder was the sole engine option, with a standard four-speed manual. Overall length was 171 inches with a 95.7-inch wheelbase—at least on the ’73 models.

The 1974 Mantas were largely the same, but gained—as many other new cars did—much bigger bumpers, front and rear. Overall length was bumped (pun intended) to 176.1 inches. Horsepower was 75 at 4800 rpm, breathing through a two-barrel carburetor. Yes, it was the ’70s, with all that “fun” early emissions equipment! The ’72s had still had 90 horses.

The Luxus continued as the top Manta, along with the base sport coupe and Rallye, and it got top billing on page two and three of the ’74 brochure. The previous year’s velvet/velour cloth was replaced with corduroy, and as seen on our featured car, vinyl upholstery was also available. The styled road wheels also carried on. And Luxuses were available in four exclusive colors: dark blue, bright metallic blue, silver, and burgundy.

I discovered our featured car several years ago in the small town of Nauvoo, Illinois. I had driven down for the excellent Grape Festival Car Show, held every Labor Day weekend, and did a major double take when I saw this car parked at a disused gas station. My uncle said he’d seen the car on and off for years. But now it was just sitting. It looked to be in very nice, albeit dusty, shape. I loved the burgundy/burgundy color combination too. You just don’t see Opels of this vintage. I have seen maybe three ’70s examples in Iowa and Illinois since I was a kid. So, of course, I took plenty of photos.

German Opels appeared in U.S. Buick-Opel dealerships for the last time in 1975. The biggest news was fuel injection. But it was the last time you could get a Manta here. Due to the exchange rates, starting in ’76 the “Opel Isuzu” was the sole offering. Too bad; the Manta was a pretty car.

[As for German Mantas, a totally new, rather futuristic-looking car replaced this body style.]

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Though restorers hold otherwise, immortality lies beyond the reach of ordinary automobiles. Of course, for every hard and fast rule there is an exception. Tip your hat to the recreation/revival/return of the 50-millionth car built by General Motors—this “Golden” 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air sport coupe.

Seventy years ago, GM was the world’s largest industrial enterprise. On November 23, 1954, the city of Flint, Michigan, where GM was founded, closed schools and halted traffic to host a mile-long parade called the Golden CARnival, boasting nine brass bands, 18 floats, and 72 noteworthy GM vehicles. An estimated 200,000 spectators cheered GM’s success and their own good fortune.

• First GM production car—1908 Cadillac
• 1-millionth GM car—1919 Oldsmobile
• 5-millionth GM car—1926 Pontiac
• 10-millionth GM car—1929 Buick
• 25-millionth GM car—1940 Chevrolet

The star of the CARnival was GM’s 50-millionth production car—a gold-painted 1955 Chevy Bel Air two-door hardtop. Barely an hour before the start of the parade, employees at Chevrolet Flint Assembly lowered this car’s body onto a gold-painted chassis while company president Harlow Curtice blessed the marriage. All the interior and exterior trim parts, including front and rear bumpers, were gold-plated!

Turns out that the Golden ’55 was in fact three distinct automobiles. Car number one, assembled a month in advance of the parade, was used in period publicity photos. It also starred at the five Motorama shows GM hosted in 1955 before being sold to some lucky customer.

Thirty-some years ago, that car was tracked down to a North Carolina owner who had no interest in selling, or even talking, about it. Unfortunately, this Bel Air was destroyed in a garage fire in 1996. The owner chopped the burned body into several pieces, scattering them about his property. Last summer, the charred remains, some of which were gold-plated, were purchased by Joe Whitaker of Real Deal Steel (RDS), an enterprise in Sanford, Florida that, last April, began creating the tribute vehicle shown here.

The second Golden ’55 Chevy, also built in October 1954, starred in a GM film entitled Achievement U.S.A. It hasn’t been seen since, and its whereabouts are unknown.

Car three was the ’55 Chevy assembled in November 1954 which rode atop a float in the Golden CARnival parade. Regrettably, this actual 50-millionth car has also been lost to the ages.

Immortality is not beyond the reach of the truly resourceful car enthusiast, however. Proof comes from the RDS enterprise founded in 2011 by Joe Whitaker and Randy Irwin, two of the most dedicated revivalists in collector car history. Over the past decade, they’ve sold hundreds of their products—1955–57 Chevrolets, 1967–69 and 1970–81 Camaros and Firebirds, plus various Chevy IIs and Novas—in the form of brand-new steel bodies to restorers who won’t be stopped in their pursuits.

Rather than starting with a donor Chevy built by GM, the gents at RDS began this project with spanking new electrophoretic-painted steel panels provided by their primary sponsor Golden Star Classic Auto Parts of Lewisville, Texas. Golden Star is the uncontested leader in the manufacture of fresh, top-quality sheetmetal replicating American and VW classics. Headquartered in Texas, they’re backed by a Taiwanese arsenal of CAD/CAM technology, stamping dies, and metal presses. This firm also supplied the new steel frame underlying the Golden 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air.

Paul Hsieh, who founded Golden Star and is now 58 years old, began working in a Taiwanese stamping plant as a young man before immigrating to Georgia where he spent eight years at Goodmark Industries, a leading restoration parts house. He began Golden Star in 2003. He explains how a fresh car body is manufactured from flat sheet steel:

“We start by shipping a complete vehicle to Taiwan. A plaster mold is made for each part before the original donor body is cut apart. A second mold is created after that piece is removed from the donor vehicle. Both plaster castings are digitally scanned and the two images are compared in software. Subtle human interpolations yield one final smooth, symmetrical design.

“That scan data is used to create a full-size foam model of each part. Next, we convert the foam model to a sand casting. Molten steel poured into the casting becomes a stamping die after all its surfaces are milled (using scan data) and hand-polished.

“The typical die set consisting of a male component, a female piece, and a top hat to hold the steel sheet in place for forming weighs 7000 to 8000 pounds. To achieve the desired final shape, multiple press strokes are required. The typical fender takes three to four hits requiring nine to 12 separate dies. Some of our larger presses are two to three stories tall. Excess metal is trimmed after stamping by means of a laser [that is] guided by the digital data file.

“Stretching a flat sheet into a curved, final car panel increases both strength and rigidity. Before we commence volume production, we ship prototype parts to end users to confirm perfect fits. If necessary, die adjustments are made to achieve perfection before we begin manufacturing parts for sale.

“We also supply restorers with steel frames, chrome-plated bumpers, complete glass kits, fuel tanks, door handles and latches, and heater boxes.’

Given this painstaking process and the effort required to assemble panels into a complete body, it’s easy to see how RDS charges $21,150 for a 1955 Chevy body shell fitted with doors, decklid, and dash.

The cadre of other contributors to the cause of the Golden ’55 Chevy include Shafer’s Classic Reproductions, American Autowire, Gene Smith Parts, Auto City Classic, and Ciadella Interiors.

All told, more than 4000 hours of effort and several hundred thousand dollars were invested into the project.

Snodgrass Chevy Restorations of Melbourne, Florida, handled assembly, fitting, and painting of the new body. Steve Blades of Falmouth, Kentucky, served as the project’s historian and researcher, gathering 300 period photos from GM’s Heritage Center, the Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint, Michigan, and several private sources. He plans on documenting this 10-month restopalooza in a coffee table book.

Snodgrass personnel constructed a new chassis carrying a 265-cubic-inch (4.3 liter) V-8 engine rated at 162 (gross) horsepower, a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and a 3.55:1 rear axle. Tires are 6.70×15 US Royal bias plies from Coker Tire. Instrument panel, steering column, and steering wheel parts are original GM. Interior trim is new old stock (NOS). Nearly a thousand enthusiasts followed the recreation project on Facebook.

The paint used here is a custom Axalta mix logically dubbed Tribute Gold. The finish consumed 5.5 gallons of paint costing $1200 per gallon. The list of 24-karat gold-plated parts includes interior and exterior trim, ID badges, both bumpers, the grille, wheel covers, and over 100 nuts, bolts, and screws. The plating tab alone topped $100,000!

Last December, a few weeks before the Golden body was finished, its chassis was unveiled at the Sloan Museum along with notable memorabilia and salvaged debris from the original Motorama ’55 Chevy. A grander reveal will occur at the 71st Detroit Autorama scheduled for March 1–3 this year at the Motor City’s Huntington Place convention center.

Steve Blades notes, “We believe that our Golden ’55 Chevy Bel Air Sport Coupe needs to be seen and enjoyed by the public at large on a daily basis. The ultimate goal is for it to be housed at either the GM Heritage Center in Grand Blanc, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, or the Sloan Museum of Discovery in Flint.”

Yes, indeed: Homing in on this immortal ’55 Chevy would be well worth your time.

***

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For those of us who call Michigan home, there was something sorely missing from this year’s Super Bowl: our Detroit Lions. Again. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. 

Sadly, the Lions—whose principal owner is Sheila Ford Hamp, a descendant of both the Ford and Firestone families—weren’t the only Detroiters who didn’t show up for the big game. For the third straight season, Ford Motor Company sat out too, choosing not to spend $7 million for a 30-second commercial on CBS. General Motors? Nope. Stellantis, the conglomerate that owns Ram, Jeep, and Chrysler? Nada.

Fortunately, several automakers played like champions. So did the Kansas City Chiefs, who after a slow start defeated the San Francisco 49ers 25–22 in overtime to claim their second consecutive Super Bowl title. Cheers to all who entertained us on and off the field, and even those who tried and failed. We appreciate the effort.

Touchdown

Volkswagen USA: “Arrival”

Most great Super Bowl commercials are great because they make us laugh, but some hit us right in the heart. Count Volkswagen’s “Arrival” among the latter. Celebrating VW’s 75 years in the USA, starting when the Beetle turned heads and changed minds upon its arrival in 1949, this commercial is actually an “American Love Story.” Using Neil Diamond’s impassioned 1971 hit “I Am … I Said” as the soundtrack and utilizing both actual and recreated film footage and photos, VW did the opposite of its award-winning “Think Small” ad campaign. It dreamed big and absolutely nailed it, right down to its ending tagline: “We shape its metal. You shape its soul.” (We’ve included the two-minute version above because it’s twice as nice as the one-minute version that ran during the third quarter.)

BMW i5 M60: “Talkin’ Like Walken”

Admit it: You’ve done your own Christopher Walken impression before. Lots of times, in fact. You probably started way back in 2000 when Walken appeared on Saturday Night Live and scored laughs (even from the cast) in his role as record producer Bruce Dickinson. “I have a fever, and the only prescription is MORE COWBELL!”

BMW knows us all too well. From the valet to the coffee barista to the tailor to the makeup artist to the waiter, everyone in this ad for the new i5 M60 electric sedan is “Talkin’ Like Walken.” The commercial ends with a proclamation from the announcer: “There’s only one Christopher Walken, and only one ultimate driving machine,” before he goes into his own Walken impersonation: “The rest are just imitations.” Walken, driving his BMW, laughs: “Come on.”

Nailed it.

Toyota Tacoma: “Dareful Handle”

Toyota had a banner day Sunday, especially considering that (according to Ad Age) it was going to skip the Super Bowl entirely until CBS came calling. Thankfully, Toyota’s marketing team already had a great commercial in the can: “Dareful Handle,” which refers to that handy dandy interior safety feature that we often call the “Jesus Bar”—as in, “Oh, Jesus, please save me while I hang on for dear life.”

As the camera jumps from one frightened passenger to the next, we’re shown an orange Tacoma kickin’ up dust while doing donuts and other herky-jerky maneuvers at high speed. “Introducing the most powerful Tacoma ever,” the announcer says, “With [echoing the truck’s flustered passengers] the ‘Shut the Front Door!’ handle … also known as the ‘Seriously Rob!’ handle … or the ‘Woah, woah, woah … woah, woah!’ handle … or the ‘No Me Gusta! (I don’t like!)’ handle … standard.”

Kia EV9: “Perfect 10”

Kia went the VW route, tugged at our heartstrings, and delivered another winner. Showcasing its new EV9, “the first mass-market three-row EV SUV in the U.S.,” the car isn’t just for transportation, it’s designed to be a mobile power source. When a young skater’s grandfather misses her performance, she brings the show to him and dazzles on a lighted rink just outside his window—and the Kia EV9 provides the juice. Well done.

BONUS: Toyota Tacoma: “Celebration”

This ad was among those offered up during the week leading up to the game, so even though it didn’t have an official time slot, we thought we’d include it. In “Celebration,” a herd of Tacomas—and motorcycles, and even a souped-up riding lawn mower—roar through a canyon before stopping, en masse, at a desolate cabin. When a bearded man comes to the door, one of the Tacoma drivers asks, “Can Billy come out to play?” The man, who we quickly deduce is Billy, shouts “YES! Woohoo!” and jumps into his own Tacoma to join the fun.

Field Goal

Kawasaki Ridge: “Mullets”

In this mildly amusing spot, everyone who comes in contact with Kawasaki’s up-market, four-cylinder side-by-side—even a (formerly) bald eagle and wrestler Steve “Stone Cold” Austin—suddenly wears a mullet. “Business in the front, party in the back. The all-new Kawasaki Ridge.”

Pluto TV: “Couch Potatoes”

Cute. And yes, we know, it isn’t an automotive commercial. But it has a fictional Pluto tractor in it, so it gets in on a technicality. “This here, this is Pluto TV country. Here on this farm, we grow couch potatoes.” The best line in this ad, showing potatoes glued to their couch, thanks to Pluto’s streaming television service? “I like anything where a hot person throws a glass of wine at another hot person.”

Turbo Tax: “Streamer”

Kris came to Turbo Tax because she “switched gears from delivering part-time to streaming full time.” The ad has almost nothing to do with cars, except that when she makes the switch she suddenly becomes part of a fast-driving video game. “That’s how you corner chat!” Don’t we all wish filing our taxes was this fun?

OFF-SETTING PENALTIES

The Dawn Project: “Boycott Tesla Now”

Like a football referee who calls out both teams for messing up, we’re introducing this new category for an ad that ultimately left nobody in a better position.

Dan O’Dowd is a tech entrepreneur who heads The Dawn Project, a group that wants to ban Tesla’s “defective self-driving software,” which “drives like a drunk teenager.” The fact that Tesla tends to pirouette away from liability claims when its cars get into accidents while using the autosteer system is not lost on The Dawn Project. It’s the second year in a row the group has purchased ad space during the big game to criticize Tesla, according to The Washington Post. We agree, of course, that software shouldn’t put the lives of people at risk, but a night of festivities and sports didn’t feel like the right venue for this ad.

***

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Remember the good old days, when we just couldn’t wait for the future to get here? And what a future it was! At least, according to the short musical film Key to the Future, which was produced by General Motors for the 1956 Motorama and imagines the magical world of, uhh, 1976.

Let’s set the scene …

There they are, a darling family of four, Dad and Junior up front, Mom and Sis sweating in the back, their convertible stuck in traffic on a summer day. In unison, they all shrug their shoulders, look at each other, and then break into song:

We gotta slow down. Slooow down.
So much traffic cuts the flow down.

Take it away, Dad: Til they bring the highways up to date,
you can bet your high compression we’re gonna be late.

While we’re waiting around singing the blues
Turn on the radio for highway news.

Junior, riding shotgun, obliges, only to learn that it’s traffic, non-stop, everywhere!

“I wonder what we’d hear if I turned on the switch,” says Junior, “and we’re driving along in nineteen hundred and seventy-six.”

Dutifully, he turns the dial. Boy howdy! Just like that, it’s 1976. But not the 1976 you might recall, all groovy and shaggily carpeted and sick to death of Vietnam. In this imagined future, our family is suddenly whisking right along through the desert in the cartoonish Firebird II, arguably the most ridiculous of all the Motorama show cars.

The boy radios “the tower” for a traffic update, then asks for a route to Chicago, a mere couple thousand miles away. The friendly officer on the other end gives him two choices—the scenic route or the direct route. These folks are on vacation! Scenic route it is.

Tower man instructs them to check their fuel and engine. A central display shows that they’ve got a range of 662 miles and that the Whirlfire GT-304 gas turbine is spinning right along a cool 31,000 rpm. It’s all systems go in 1976.

“We’re all set for auto control!” says Dad. Tower man instructs them to move to the “electronic control strip in the center lane,” then to synchronize the engine. Dad tunes the speed. Dad tunes the direction.

“We’re coming in on the beam, Dad,” says the boy, as a nebulous glowing dot on the center screen gets closer to a wavering glowing line. Great futuristic high-pitch radio-tuning sounds ensue: Wee-yuuu-aaaahhh-ooo-uuu-wee. After just 30 seconds of twisting some knobs and not looking at the road, Dad has that autopilot set.

“Well done, Firebird II,” says our man in the tower. “You’re now under automatic control. Hands off steering.” Now he’s only got to give that sort of individualized attention to the other million motorists passing his way that day. Who needs automation in 1976 when there’s so much time for individual productivity!

Past the control tower they go, not another car in sight, for some reason. “Here we go in the high-speed safety lane,” Dad says, except they’re only going about 30 mph and have been this whole time. But once into that fast lane, bubble-top windows sealed tight, it’s time for a stogie. Puff away, Dad! Not for Junior; he’ll have some ice cream. Mom and Sis’ll have some delicious orange juice, thanks—all of it neatly dispensed into futuristic metal cups from the glovebox Orange Juice & Ice Cream Machine, patent pending. Curiously, no one has coughed or grimaced or vomited or said “Really, Dad?” at the prospect of being trapped in the Firebird’s fishbowl cabin with that damn cigar.

Soon they pass a single-seater Firebird I, “the original gas-turbine car,” says Junior. The whole family gawks at this relic of the past. “Runs pretty smooth for an old-timer,” Junior says.

Time marches on as they cross what is turning out to be an endless desert, only now they’re on an elevated roadway. Fancy!

Eventually the highway before them curves to the left, as highways sometimes do. They’ve hit the “east-north interchange,” according to Junior. Dad scans the road ahead. “The safe, easy way to make a turn,” he says, knowing his car will do it for him, because by 1976, as you’ll recall, turning the steering wheel 30 degrees in order to follow the road had become quite treacherous. Still, Mom and Sis give each other that knowing nod, because Dad’s right. It is both safe and easy.

They won’t make Chicago today, obviously, and from the way they all yawn simultaneously, it’s clear our family of the future is beat. Cue the refrain …

We’ve got to slow down. Slooow down.
Mr. Sun is just about to gooo down.

Once again they call on “Mr. Tower Man” to find them a place to lay their weary heads. This time, he sings too. The Sunset Inn’s a honey, he suggests, and the hostess is a dream.

And do you know why the Sunset Inn’s a honey, reader? Because their predigested food is cooked by infrared, that’s why.

Hindsight being what it is, it’s hard not to want to just pet this short promotional film on its adorable little head. In 1956, what we wanted—nay, expected—from 1976 were self-driving cars, elevated roads, glovebox ice cream, and to not have to chew our food at the end of a long day. What we got instead was the Dodge Aspen, the ink-jet printer, the Big Gulp, VHS, Ebola, a bicentennial, and no more American convertibles—ever!

What a rip-off.

***

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At an Automotive Press Association appearance on December 4, 2023, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said GM was considering bringing back hybrids. “We have the technology,” she said. “We’ll continue to look at where the market is, where the regulatory environment is.”

Now, market factors such as customer demand, problems with building electric models, and government pollution standards have caused Barra to admit that GM will begin building plug-in hybrids. Her comments came last Tuesday in a fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts.

She reiterated that GM is still on track to convert its portfolio to all-electric by 2035, as it promised in January 2021, “but in the interim, deploying plug-in technology in strategic segments will deliver some of the environmental benefits of EVs as the nation continues to build its charging infrastructure.”

She declined to say when we’ll see plug-in hybrids, or in which market segments GM will offer them. “We plan to deliver the program in a capital- and cost-efficient way because the technology is already in production in other markets. We’ll have more to share about this down the road.”

It’s lost on no one that GM had a leg up on plug-in hybrids with the Chevrolet Volt, which went on sale in December of 2010. The second-generation Volt, which had an upgraded powertrain and more battery capacity, went on sale in October of 2015. But GM pulled the plug on the slow-selling Volt in 2019 and began doubling down on plans to produce electric vehicles.

GM likely should have further refined a hybrid portfolio, as other manufacturers such as Toyota and Hyundai were doing, rather than dropping the technology altogether. “GM not only had a head-start on hybrids with the Volt but also with the SUVs more than a decade ago,” said Sam Fiorani, vice president for global forecasting for Pennsylvania-based AutoForecast Solutions. “Had they not decided on taking the all-EV route, they could have had a usable, and arguably more popular, hybrid lineup.

“The emissions regulations are going to require something more than the eventuality of electric vehicles,” he continues. “With the slowing transition to EVs, it makes sense to add hybrids to your lineup, especially since many of your products are V-8-powered trucks, and what are traditionally high-polluting models.”

Also in play is a “slowing of the transition to EVs,” Fiorani said. Early adopters jumped on EVs when they first became available, but the balance of customers have been more cautious about entering the EV market when they perceive that range and infrastructure may not be at the levels they require to abandon their ICE vehicles.

“Everybody anticipated that the growth would continue at this sharp angle, and it’s just not happening,” Fiorani said. “As we transition out of the early adopters, it’s been more difficult to move customers out of their ICE vehicles and into an EV.”

Indeed, simply building EVs and getting them to market has been difficult for GM, in part due to issues with weakened demand and with producing the Ultium battery platform. In a February forecast by AutoForecast Solutions, GM said it planned to build 416,300 EVs in 2023. Actual production was 120,900.

Presently, the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the only hybrid in GM’s North American lineup. As Barra mentioned, GM builds hybrids in other markets, most notably China.

But Fiorani said that simply bringing the Chinese hardware and software here won’t solve GM’s problems. The Chinese hybrids are mostly smaller vehicles, and one issue will be finding a vehicle small enough in the U.S. fleet to use the same technology. “There’s a potential that they could use it in vehicles the size of the Chevrolet Trax, which is produced in South Korea. But the big meat will be hybrids that compete with Ford and Toyota in full-sized trucks.” Both Ford (as of the 2021 model year) and Toyota (as of 2022 MY) currently offer hybrid versions of their full-size trucks, and hybrid offerings in that segment would go a long way to helping GM meet emissions goals across its portfolio.

So when can we expect to see some new hybrids from GM? “This will not be an overnight thing,” Fiorano said, because GM will have to bring back engineering they haven’t used in a decade and raise it to current levels.

“It’s important to note that GM and the rest of the industry should have seen this coming,” Fiorani said, “and should have been better prepared. Toyota, Ford, Honda—a few of these companies have hybrids in their lineup, and companies like Toyota didn’t expect the transition to EVs to happen anytime soon. Something between those two extremes probably would have been the best course of action.”

***

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Wayne Kady might be the most well-known unknown designer in the history of General Motors. Well known, because his designs are some of the most recognizable from the 1960s to the 1990s; unknown, because the unassuming Kady was often eclipsed by flashier designers more adept at self-promotion.

Kady’s tenure at GM began in 1961, when the General was at the zenith of its influence—so all-powerful that the government considered taking action to break up the automaker’s near 50 percent grip on the American market. GM Design was the undisputed leader of automotive styling, and Kady was in the thick of it, working for legends like Bill Mitchell. He soon landed at the studio where he made the most impact—Cadillac, where he penned the 1971 Eldorado and helped steer the brand through the vehicle downsizing of the late ’70s. By the time he retired in 1999 as chief designer, Buick 2 Studio, his portfolio contained some of the most recognizable cars to come out of Detroit.

Over the course of many interviews, Kady told us his story, which is also the story of how one person can make a huge impact on an industry and a culture.

California beginnings

I grew up in Reedley, California, a small farming town located in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley. My dad immigrated here from Lebanon and saved up enough to buy a small farm. My first experience driving was on our tractor. Dad had a ’29 Chevrolet truck that was no longer used and was going to be scrapped, so Dad let my brothers and me take it apart. I learned about how an engine works and how to turn a wrench, as well as how to skin my knuckles. By the eighth grade, I could draw all the GM cars from memory. In my junior year of high school, I bought a 1940 Willys for $12 and started to build a sports custom. My inspiration was the Jaguar XK 120. I never finished it, but I learned how to weld and graft sheetmetal—and how to use a lot of Bondo. What inspired me to become a car designer was I learned that you could earn a living doing it. In January 1951, Life magazine published photos of the Le Sabre show car. It was an inspiring thing to see, that “Wow, all of a sudden, it’s the future!”

ArtCenter

In high school, my art instructor saw me drawing cars when I should have been drawing other things. He told me about ArtCenter College of Design [located in Los Angeles, California, before it moved to its present location in Pasadena] and suggested I apply. I did, and they rejected me. They said I was too immature. After two years at Reedley Junior College and a second attempt for admission, they let me in on probation.

Hired by General Motors

Clare MacKichan, the chief designer of the ’55 through ’57 Chevrolets, came to ArtCenter and interviewed me and several other students, shortly before I graduated with honors. He looked at my portfolio and offered me a job. I moved to Detroit on February 13, 1961. The farthest east I’d ever been was Phoenix, Arizona. That was the first time I’d ever flown. I had a window seat and I was looking out as we were circling Willow Run Airport. I couldn’t see anything moving, and everything was white. I sat there wondering what I was doing. I got off the plane and had to walk across the tarmac because Willow Run didn’t have jetways back then. I didn’t have an overcoat, just a suit coat. When they opened the door, it felt like nails going through you, it was so cold. My first night in Michigan was spent sleeping on the floor of Syd Mead’s apartment in Royal Oak. Syd was a fellow ArtCenter graduate and legendary designer who went on to create designs for the Blade Runner and Tron films.

It sounds like a cliché, but my first day at GM, I couldn’t believe that I was hired to work at this place. It was an environment where you couldn’t wait to get to work, because if that’s your passion, that’s the ideal place to be. The environment was such that you wanted to be as creative as you could be, the ideas had to flow out, and you had to be competitive with whomever else was working there, too. Working at GM back then was fantastic. It was a very creative environment to be in.

Bill Mitchell

I first met Bill Mitchell when I was newly hired and assigned to Design Development, the studio where all newly hired designers started. There they could be evaluated, then assigned to a studio where they could be most effective. I remember whenever Mitchell would visit the studio, he was always dressed in expensive, tailored suits and had someone with him taking notes. Later, after I was assigned to Cadillac, Mitchell would visit the studios to check on the progress of the clay models. If he wasn’t happy with the direction the design was headed and you tried to defend it, his face turned red, and you knew a chewing out would follow. Usually he would come back after a couple of hours knowing everyone was tense and uptight, and then he would tell a joke or make an off-color comment and then walk out, and that would lighten the air. Some designers had a hard time with him, but I thought he was very effective. He might have been a little crude in some areas, but he was successful as far as picking the designs for production.

Designing at Cadillac

In 1962, while assigned to Bernie Smith’s Preliminary Design studio, our project was to create an alternate design for the 1965 all-new Cadillac versus the direction the Cadillac studio was pursuing. Smith’s theme was chosen, and I was transferred to the production studio to help design the ’65 DeVille and Fleetwood. We were also working on a theme that eventually led to the design of the ’67 Eldorado. In August 1968, I was promoted to chief designer of a newly formed advanced Cadillac studio to design an all-new Eldorado for 1971.

1971 Eldorado

The ’67 Eldorado, [Oldsmobile] Toronado, and [Buick] Riviera were designs initially developed with unique sheetmetal for each brand. Cowl, windshield, and side-glass planes were the only major parts shared. Eldorado shared front-wheel drive with Toronado, while Riviera continued with rear-wheel drive to enjoy a price advantage as well as differentiation. When I was working on the Eldorado for 1971, we started out with a smaller, more tailored body. As the design progressed and volume cost estimates and other data evolved, we ended up having to share the B-body platform used by all five car divisions and even sharing the roof panels between Toronado and Eldorado.

The ’67 was a big act to follow, because the car was, as far as designers are concerned, probably the best-looking Cadillac for a long time. The 1967 through ’70 Eldorado had a two-piece hood. When they’re stamped in two pieces, they’re assembled to the center and then the ends have to be welded and metal finished. Metal finishing cost a dollar an inch back then, and the ’71 hood required 9 inches of welding and metal finishing, so it cost $9 per car. In those days, if you took 50 cents out of a car, that was big money. Wally Sitarsky was the die engineer at Cadillac; I had great respect for him.

After careful study, he found a way to make the hood of the 1971 Eldorado in one piece. [This technique saved Cadillac almost $250,000 in 1971, roughly $1.8 million in today’s dollars.] Another important cost savings for Cadillac was sharing the front-center bumper and guards with the DeVille and the Fleetwood series.

1976 Seville, Part 1

After completing the design on the ’71 Eldorado, we had a fiberglass model built of a four-door DeVille concept with horizontal taillights before starting work on a small Cadillac to compete against the Mercedes 280SEL. We had completed a set of renderings of three possible approaches: importing the Opel Diplomat [Opel was GM’s German division], importing an Opel with minor changes to the front and rear, or creating an all-new car. These were taken by the sales team and the general manager to dealer councils across the country, where they were evaluated and voted on as to whether we would even have a smaller Cadillac. Cadillac was having competition on the West Coast in particular with the Mercedes. As that project started to roll, I got transferred to Buick. Mitchell called me into his office, and he didn’t really say much. He just said, “Hey, kid. I’m transferring you to Buick. They got a problem in there. Get out and fix it.” He used to call me kid. I was pretty young then.

Buick

One of the reasons that I was sent to Buick was because Mitchell was pressured to change the boattail Riviera. The Buick general manager disliked it and thought it was too controversial. Mitchell wanted me to graft the design that came off the four-door Cadillac with horizontal taillights onto the back of the boattail Riviera. The doors had to be kept, while the roof panel was shared with the Toronado and Eldorado. We also had to incorporate the new 5-mph bumper standards. We didn’t have enough money to change a lot on that car except maybe the quarter-panels and the decklid and add high-level brake lamps. I managed to make it look more conventional, which satisfied Buick. It didn’t enhance the look and did not add sales. I always thought the boattail was better-looking. Mitchell’s the guy who pushed the design of the boattail Riviera, but Jerry Hirshberg was the chief designer. After [facelifting] the LeSabre, the Electra 225, and a major facelift to the ’76 Buick Regal series, I was transferred back to Cadillac as exterior chief designer.

1976 Seville, Part 2

Back at Cadillac, I reinherited the Seville that was marketed as a ’76 model; its design was already finished when I returned. The design was done by Stan Parker, my first boss at Cadillac. It was a big hit for the division, and it answered the competitive question to the Mercedes. It introduced Cadillac into that small-car segment, at a big price. I think it was priced higher than anything except for the limousine. [1976 Cadillac Seville MSRP was $12,749.] From my perspective, it was the proportions that made the design so successful. One of my colleagues once mentioned proportions as being to design as location is to real estate. I think anytime you start a design for a car or a house or a product, proportions are one of the first things that you want to address. When I’m talking about proportions, it’s the dash to axle, the location of the front wheel in relation to the windshield, the amount of overhang in front of that wheel, and then the location of the rear axle to the roof profile. Then the placement of the wheels to the width of the car. These are all the things that you see while you’re looking at a car, whether it’s moving or static. The Seville’s A-pillar looks swept back, but that’s more dramatic because the roof profile was so upright and formal.

Earlier in my Cadillac career, somebody had taken a survey of our owners’ garages, and a lot of them had garages that were attached to older houses. The houses might have been big, but the garages weren’t, because nobody anticipated cars growing to that length. We got to a certain length, and we were told, “Don’t go any further because we’re going to lose customers.”

Downsizing at Cadillac

The first major downsizing project was the ’77 DeVille and Fleetwood. I’d started a little of that [downsizing] at Buick before I left. I think the assignment was to get a thousand pounds out of the car, so we had to reduce the size. Part of the assignment was to make the car look more fuel-efficient. We had these large cars that looked irresponsible and were getting maybe 12 mpg, then we’ve got Asian cars that are getting 25 [mpg] or more. That’s what people were concerned about back then. Even if the car got good fuel economy, it was the image that was part of the reason for downsizing. There were people at Cadillac who were talking about the bulk of the car and the appearance that we were wasting the nation’s resources and that we were greedy.

1980 Cadillac “Bustleback” Seville

After we finished the design of the ’67 Eldorado, we were given time to sketch whatever we wanted, and we were putting together advance concepts. I always had an interest in something that was unique and a little different for the rear of the car. Harley Earl used to say, “The most important part of a car design is the front end.” But I thought maybe the rear end was just as important.

Tailfins had run their course, and it occurred to me that people spent a lot of time looking at the back of a car. I thought, “There’s an opportunity to make a car distinctive and different.” I had been sketching that idea since probably the early to mid-’60s. We were looking at this design for the ’79 Eldorado, and we’d shown the clay model to Ed Kennard, who was the general manager of Cadillac. He rejected it and Bill Mitchell asked if he’d consider it for Seville. Kennard said he would look at it, and I think he was placating Bill for having rejected it outright as an Eldorado. We added another door cutline and that’s how it became a Seville. I was invited to the dealer announcement in Long Beach. When they announced that car, they had it on the stage and when they pulled the curtains back, the car started to revolve on a turntable and was partially concealed with fog. Then the lights gradually came on, like the sun coming up. As the fog cleared, you could see the car. It got a standing ovation. I’ve been to a lot of these dealer announcements, and this was by far the most applause for a new car that I’d ever seen. But then they priced it, I think, almost $4000 more than the previous year. They added a lot of standard features, like a diesel engine. Those engines were extremely problematic and added to the car’s price. I remember going into a dealer showroom and people would walk up to that car, they’d look at the sticker price, and then they’d look at an Eldorado or DeVille and many of them would go for the less expensive option. Then they had the V-8-6-4 [GM’s first attempt at cylinder deactivation] and the technology wasn’t ready. The electronics weren’t worked out, and the dealers didn’t know how to fix it—the factory didn’t have a fix. It was a time when fuel economy was a huge problem, and the corporation was doing all it could to squeeze out as many miles per gallon as possible. I’d give credit to Cadillac engineering for advanced thinking and having the fortitude to produce it. It’s just too bad that the technology wasn’t proven. They were ahead of their time. Today cylinder deactivation is standard on a number of cars.

I remember being at a dealer council meeting and the dealers were very upset with the general manager and the chief engineer. I think I was included in the meeting because the Seville was controversial with that bustleback and I would share some of the criticism. Oh, they were very upset. One of them was Don Massey [known as “the Cadillac King,” at his peak, Massey was one of the largest Cadillac retailers in the country, accounting for approximately 6 percent of the brand’s sales], but he was fairly cool. The one who was the most vocal and angry was John DeLorean’s brother, Charles, who owned a Cadillac dealership outside of Cleveland. Another dealer belonged to the same country club as some of his customers, where he would regularly overhear one of them asking another member how they liked their new Cadillac. The other member responded, saying, “I hate it. It’s been at the dealership, and he can’t find a fix for the engine.” And DeLorean says to us, “I’m losing my customers, I’m going to lose my franchise, and it’s because of you SOBs.” They were literally calling the general manager and the chief engineer SOBs right to their faces. It was pretty nasty. Massey was the last to speak. He looked at Kennard, and he said, “Well, boss, looks like we got work to do.”

The Cadillac Allanté

The 1989 model year was my last year at Cadillac. One of my final projects was an alternate design to the Allanté. I was not happy when I found out that Bob Burger, Cadillac’s new general manager, was going to [Italian design house] Pininfarina to build a two-passenger car. I asked Burger, “How is it that we can do your bread-and-butter products, but then when it comes to a fun and historic project, you give it to somebody who hasn’t done anything for you?” He answered, “Well, this is business. We want that designer label.” I said, “What do you mean, ‘designer label?’” He said, “We want a designer label on the car, like the red tags on the back of Levi’s.” I asked him, “What do you think we are?” He replied, “Nobody knows who you are.” And he was right. Nobody knew who we were. Bill Mitchell received credit for everything, but the designers, they were unknown to the public. We put together an alternate version of the Allanté anyway. It wasn’t any better than what I think Pininfarina came up with, but we had to do something to keep the team together. The morale was shot when they found out about it. I think if Mitchell had still been there, he probably would have fought Burger on that one.

Back at Buick

I was transferred to Buick after the ’89 model year. I shared responsibility for Buick exterior design with Bill Porter [another design legend at GM, who was responsible for the 1968 Pontiac LeMans/GTO, the 1970 Pontiac Firebird, and the 1982 Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird, among others]. Bill was leading the design for the LeSabre, the Park Avenue, and the Riviera. I was responsible for the Century, the Regal, the Skylark, and the Roadmaster, which was based on the same platform as the Chevy Impala; the estate wagon version of it was done by my assistant, Dennis Wright. He brought back woodgrain trim on the sides of the car, and some of the designers disagreed. Dennis told me at one time, he thought that the Roadmaster estate wagon outsold the Impala version. We were there to design cars to sell for profit. That’s what we were paid to do.

I retired on April 1, 1999, after a little over 38 years at General Motors. Coming from a farm, as a farm kid, I never would’ve dreamt that I would have been working at General Motors from day one. And to work on Cadillac, on GM’s top brand, and be the chief designer longer than anybody else in the history of Cadillac. I made a good living, met a lot of great people, and worked with some of the most talented people in the world for automobile design. You know, what’s there not to like?

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Well, here’s a line shift that won’t draw a penalty—or any complaints from the Detroit Lions or their gritty head coach, Dan Campbell.

General Motors has delayed Sunday’s 10 p.m.–7 a.m. shift at its Flint Assembly plant, which is roughly 70 miles northwest of Detroit, so that employees won’t miss any of the Lions’ NFC championship football game in San Francisco. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. EST. The contest is the first NFC title game the Lions have participated in since the 1991 season.

In a social media post informing its 1500 third-shift workers of the change, GM wrote, “We recognize the Detroit Lions playing in an NFC Championship game as a rare, unique opportunity that warrants this temporary schedule adjustment to allow employees to enjoy the game and to make it to work on time.”

GM spokesman Kevin Kelly confirmed to the Detroit Free Press that normal production will begin at 10:42 p.m. for Body and Paint, and at 11 p.m. for General Assembly. The Flint Assembly plant is the only GM plant with a third shift on Sundays. It builds the HD, or heavy-duty, versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks.

So far, no other Detroit-based automaker has followed suit. In fact, Stellantis (which owns the Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram brands) has already punted the idea. A spokesperson says that although the automaker “is proud of our hometown team … Stellantis will run normal production schedules on Sunday to meet the expectations of our customers and dealers.”

Prior to this month’s NFC playoff victories over the Rams and Buccaneers, the Lions hadn’t won a playoff game in more than three decades, so naturally the reaction to General Motors’ announcement was met with jubilation. One person wrote on Reddit, “This brings a tear to my eyes.” Another joked, “‘We aren’t going to give you a raise, but we’re going to let you watch the Lions game [instead]. Ok, I’m good with that.” A third wondered, “So what happens if the game goes into overtime???”

Perhaps the best comment of all (posted on Instagram) was discovered by the Free Press: “In my 13+ years at GM I’ve never seen a postponement to start the week … even 2 feet of snow wouldn’t do it lol. This is for the city! Go Lions!”

While many commenters suggest that GM is just trying to avoid mass absenteeism at the Flint plant, there’s no doubt that the automaker’s decision is at the very least a great public relations move. It certainly isn’t a free gift, however, as third-shifters will lose an hour’s pay.

That brings us to this: Although the Lions are owned by the Ford family, Ford Motor Company has not yet announced if it is going to adjust its third-shift schedule. Perhaps it is holding out for a Super Bowl? Regardless, we’re guessing there will soon be a massive outbreak of the Silver and Honolulu Blue (Oval) flu … right about 6:30 p.m. on Sunday. Here’s our prescription: Football, pizza, and beer. Cheers to Detroit.

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Another Cadillac? You betcha! What can I say, I love the classic luxury sleds from the ’70s, especially Cadillacs and Lincolns. And who doesn’t love a convertible? Current Cadillacs have been leaning heavily on the electric slide, if you get my drift. But there’s still something to be said for the … sheer presence of Cadillacs of the 1970s. Like this one.

You see, back in the ’70s, when things were more civilized, people appreciated appearance. Consequently, most—if not all—vehicles were pretty nice looking. Even in the Year of our Lord 1973, when the dreaded 5-mph federal front bumper edict went into effect.

Some wore it better than others. Ford seemed particularly proud of making its bumpers as massive as possible, while over at Chrysler Corporation, many of the new ’73s made do with giant rubber-tipped bumperettes on the previous year’s bumpers.

While GM split the difference (more or less), you could tell a little more effort was made to keep the top-tier Cadillac aesthetically pleasing—as befitting a proper luxury car, back when that was important and people bought cars instead of trucks and SUVs.

The 1973 Eldorado was in its third model year since it was totally redesigned in 1971. While the 1971 and ’72 versions were fairly similar—except for the grille texture, taillights, and certain color and upholstery changes—the ’73 sported a modest facelift. Most noticeable, of course, was the new front end, naturally incorporating the new 5 mph bumper but also sporting a new, bold, eggcrate grille and new turn/side marker/cornering lights.

The back was similarly updated. On the flanks, the simulated side cooling grilles on the rear quarters, so prominent in 1971–72, were stricken, resulting in a smoother side profile. There was a new bumper and taillights out back as well, and the license plate was moved farther upward into the trunk lid.

The Eldorado had been Cadillac’s sole convertible since 1971, when it replaced the DeVille convertible, which went out of production in 1970. The 1973 edition had a base price of $7681 ($52,712 today) and weighed in at 4966 pounds. A total of 9315 were built. In 1973 this Cadillac was the sole remaining American luxury convertible available, with the Lincoln Continental convertible last sold in 1967 and the Imperial in ’68.

Even the brochures were elegant. The 1973 catalog featured a white cover with an inset gold-outlined Cadillac crest on a field of red, with “The special world of Cadillac 1973” embossed below. Nine models were available, from the Fleetwood Seventy Five limousine and nine-passenger sedan to the lowest-priced Calais coupe. And that’s not including the special editions like the d’Elegance or Custom Cabriolet, available on the Fleetwood Brougham and Eldorado Coupe, respectively.

And they were all CARS, thank you very much. There were no Cadillac trucks, SUVs, or—saints preserve us—crossovers in 1973. Fortunately. As the brochure extolled: “Even for those who have long since accepted Cadillac leadership and quality as a matter of course, these new motor cars stand out. If anything, they make the special world of Cadillac even more special.”

And Cadillac had plenty to be happy about in 1973, as production set yet another record: 304,839 cars. Not bad, especially for a luxury brand, where the least-expensive model, the Calais two-door hardtop, sold for $5886 ($40,394). To put that in perspective, a new ’73 Chevrolet Caprice coupe—an extremely plush car in its own right—sold for $4082 ($28,013).

Well, it was a Cadillac after all. And a Cadillac convertible was still a great way to fly in 1973, so to speak. Even though the German marques, particularly Mercedes-Benz, were making some inroads in the luxury car market in 1973. But, oh, that Cadillac.

Again referring to the brochure (of course I have a copy!), this time referring specifically to the Eldorado Convertible: “Excitement was never more elegant—elegance was never more exciting. You can see it in the new boldness of its lines and the richness of its interior. You can feel it in the response of its 8.2-liter engine and in the superb maneuverability afforded by front-wheel drive, variable-ratio power steering, and Automatic Level Control.

“It even converts uniquely. With an ingenious inward-folding Hideaway Top … From its jewel-like standup crest to its beautifully beveled new rear deck, this is a unique driving experience. The Eldorado Convertible by Cadillac.”

Don’t you want to rush to your Cadillac dealer right now, test drive one, and place an order? I sure do. But I’m afraid I’d be a little disappointed, as the last Cadillac convertible, the XLR, was available in 2009, and the last Eldorado in 2002.

I can imagine myself in 1973, at the age I am now, buying one of these and just loafing along on pleasure cruises, with the top down, to various supper clubs and car shows, enjoying myself immensely. With Carly Simon’s “You’re so Vain” playing on the 8-track stereo. Ahh … bliss.

Our featured car, seen at the excellent Cadillac & LaSalle Club show in June 2019, was resplendent in Dynasty Red—a real RED kind of red, if you get my drift. It was paired with a white leather interior with red dash and carpet—the perfect combination. It appeared to be an extremely well-preserved original car.

I was smitten with it and frequently hovered around it throughout the day, as proven by all of these pictures. I’d have loved to have gone for a ride in it! Cadillac Style, indeed.

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When Pontiac marketers called the redesigned 1970 Firebird “The Beginning of Tomorrow,” they likely didn’t imagine that the second-generation muscle car would see more than 4000 tomorrows in what would become a 12-year production run. The new Firebird not only looked good, it offered more power, a winning combination for performance-minded buyers of the era—and auto enthusiasts today.

As Hagerty Price Guide editor Greg Ingold wrote in 2021, “Although the second-gen Firebird achieved pop-culture fame in its later years—think T-Tops and screaming chicken—serious collectors prefer the high-horsepower, tightly wound thoroughbreds of the early ’70s.”

General Motors’ first-generation F-body cars were rapidly developed in response to the wild popularity of the Ford Mustang, and plans for a second generation were green-lit almost as soon as the first Chevrolet Camaros and Pontiac Firebirds went on sale in 1967. Designed by legendary GM design chief Bill Mitchell, the second-iteration Firebird received positive reviews when it was introduced at the 1970 Chicago Auto Show.

The new Firebird, wearing dramatic, European-influenced bodywork with long hood and truncated fastback rear end, was available in four models, all coupes. The entry-level Firebird offered both six-cylinder and eight-cylinder engine options; the Esprit had an upgraded interior, bright moldings around the hood, doors, and wheel lips, and a wider chrome molding on the rocker panel; the Formula 400 featured unique dual snorkel hood scoops and a 400-cubic-inch, four-barrel V-8 standard (with the Ram Air III 400 as an option); and that fourth model, the Trans Am, that became a legend.

With all of its high-performance options, the Trans Am was built for the serious driver—so serious, in fact, that in addition to the standard 345-horsepower Ram Air III 400, the racing-focused Ram Air IV 400 offered 375 hp and could only be had through the special order form. (Only 88 of those were built, 59 with standard transmission and 29 automatics, making them the most valuable and sought after second-gen Trans Ams.)

The top-end Firebird model’s styling also offered fender flares, “shaker” hood scoop, and spats ahead of the front and rear wheel openings, all unique to the Trans Am.

That brings us to this beautiful 1970 Firebird T-A, one of 1739 built with the venerable Ram Air III and mated to a four-speed manual gearbox. Fully restored in 2015 and offered on Hagerty Marketplace, this legendary muscle machine was refinished in its original factory shade of Polar White (10) with a blue stripe and Black (218) vinyl interior, and it rides on 15-inch Rally II wheels mounted with raised white-letter BF Goodrich Radial T/A tires. Its five-digit odometer shows 15,500 miles; exact mileage is unknown.

The car’s many features include front air dam, chrome rear bumper, color-keyed dual exterior racing mirrors, engine-turned aluminum dash panel, rear ducktail spoiler, thick stabilizer bars (front and rear), heavy-duty springs and shocks, bucket seats and lap belts, padded three-spoke steering wheel, Hurst shifter, power steering and brakes, manually operated windows, center console, gauges for voltmeter, water temperature, and oil pressure, dual-speed windshield wipers, Delco push-button AM/FM radio, heater, dual padded sun visors, locking glove compartment, lined trunk compartment, back-up lights, and dual exhaust outlets.

Known imperfections include cracking in the front grille surround and discoloration of the clear coat in some areas. Included in the sale are a PHS Automotive Services, Inc. information packet, digital copy of original build sheet, tire jack, and spare wheel/tire.

Currently located in Lakeville, Massachusetts, the Trans Am was originally delivered to All American Pontiac in San Jose, California, in June 1970 with a sticker price of $4748.64, which is the equivalent of approximately $37,670 today.

A 1970 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am with Ram Air III 400 carries an average value of $93,300 in #2 (Excellent) condition and $55,300 in #3 (Good) condition. With 11 days remaining in the auction, which ends on November 13 at 3:30 p.m., bidding has reached $18,500.

If you’ve been searching for a second-gen Trans Am, perhaps this is the beginning of your tomorrow.

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Eighteen months after announcing its intent to build “affordable,” sub-$30K EVs that would go on sale in 2027, Honda and GM have scrapped the plan. “GM and Honda will search for a solution separately,” Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe told Bloomberg TV. “This project itself has been canceled.”

According to Honda’s Q3 report, the Prologue and the ZDX, electric SUVs based on GM’s Ultium battery tech, are still slated to go on sale in North America as of early 2024.

Instead of a Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model 3 competitor, Honda will serve up “a mid- to large-sized EV” on a new, “EV-specific” architecture. It is scheduled to launch here in 2025, most likely assembled in Ohio, at one of Honda’s existing plants, with a battery pack built in North America by LG, for those good ol’ federal tax credits. (It’s all in the report, a PDF of which is linked in this press release.)

The decision underscores the popularity of the midsized SUV in America and the difficulty of making an EV to match up against, say, a base Honda Civic in price. (MSRP plus destination said Civic is $25,045.)

GM’s recent decision to delay full-volume production of its upcoming EVs—Equinox, Sierra, and Silverado—reflects similar market priorities: It’s easier to make money off a $50K or $60K EV than a $30K one.

What’s the reason for the failed partnership? Bloomberg reports that Honda’s CEO cited cost. The official statement insists the decision was mutual and that, of course, both companies remain committed to affordability in the EV market. However, GM’s production delay and the references to “swift decision-making” in Honda’s Q3 report suggest that the Japanese automaker may have grown impatient. Honda has proven it can get along with GM and has probably developed its understanding of battery technology and manufacturing along the way. We’d also wager GM’s current labor negotiations with the UAW are contributing to Honda’s uncertainty.

It isn’t cutting all ties with GM, however: yesterday, at the Japan Mobility Show, Honda CEO Toshihiro Mibe announced that, “Together with GM and Cruise, Honda is planning to launch a driverless ridehail service using the Cruise Origin, in Japan in early 2026.” Yup, the same Cruise that just got its autonomous vehicle testing permit yanked by the state of California, citing “unreasonable risk to public safety.”

Honda holds to its medium-term goal of producing 2M electric vehicles annually by 2030.

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As a child of the 1980s, I was in a position to see firsthand the era of the station wagon giving ground, then giving way, to minivans. And later on, SUVs. But I always loved station wagons. I came home from the hospital in one, was driven to school in one, went on family vacations in one—well, several, actually. But the debut of the “Magic Wagon,” as Chrysler Corporation dubbed its new Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager minivans, was the beginning of the end.

Even my own family went through it. My parents had two Volvo 240 and two Volvo 740GL wagons, but as us kids kept getting bigger, peace in the back seat amongst the three of us became pretty much impossible. So, in late 1991, my folks ordered a brand new ’92 Grand Caravan ES in white with dark gray leather, all-wheel drive, and the middle-row bucket seats. Peace was restored. But I digress …

In 1980, you had myriad choices in station wagons: Volvo 240s (my aforementioned trip home from the hospital was in a ’77 245DL), Peugeot 505s, Toyota Cressidas, Volkswagen Dashers. And over on the domestic side, a wide variety of Pinto Squires, Concord Limiteds, LeBaron Town and Countrys, and other fare awaited your pocketbook. But the top-tier domestic woodgrained rolling stock wagons were, not coincidentally, the largest models.

The top-of-the-line U.S. wagons were the Ford LTD Country Squire, Mercury Colony Park, Chevrolet Caprice Estate, Pontiac Bonneville Safari, Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, and the Buick Electra Estate Wagon, our featured subject today. A case can also be made for the previously-mentioned LeBaron Town and Country; though plenty luxurious, it was on the midsize chassis, the truly large and unapologetically full-size T&C being discontinued after the 1977 model year.

But the Electra Estate wagon was as close as one could get to a Cadillac station wagon, excepting those with sufficient funds to have coachbuilders make a wagon out of a Fleetwood Brougham or Sedan de Ville.

All of the full-sized 1980 GM cars were given facelifts for a smoother appearance, partly to improve fuel economy but also for the looks. All the big GM wagons were naturally a part of it, though for them it really was only the front clip that was changed. The big Buick wagons came both as a LeSabre and as an Electra.

And that continued all the way through the 1989 model year, with the flossier Electra and slightly plainer LeSabre wagons pinning the top tier of Buick station wagons. I will always remember these wagons fondly, as a navy blue one had a major part in the classic 1987 film Adventures in Babysitting!

That movie could well be the primary reason I love these cars so much. And also why I was such a fan of the final seasons of CSI when Elisabeth Shue was part of the cast. Oops, wait. What were we talking about again?

Right, Buicks! The big GM wagons were all rather similar visually, from Caprice Estate to top-of-the-line Electra Estate Wagon. The biggest differences were the front clip, interior, and, depending on the year and make, the engine. But the Electras were always the plushest.

However, in 1990, Buick pulled a fast one. Technically, the Electra Estate Wagon and LeSabre Estate wagon were gone. But only in name. Instead of having the two very similar models, they were merged into a single “Estate Wagon,” with nary an Electra or LeSabre emblem to be found anywhere.

I initially thought only the badging was different compared to the 1989s, but the interior was now a hybrid: Electra Estate Wagon seats with LeSabre door panels.

The 1989 and earlier Electra Estate Wagons had these Regal (pun intended) half-woodgrain door panels. But at least you still got the primo seats in the 1990 model.

My friend Jeremy Shiffer related, “These 1990 B-body wagons (and base 307 equipped 1990 Cadillac Broughams) hold the distinction of being the last GM cars sold with a carburetor.” And then another friend Mike Massey confirmed that the ’90s only had “LeSabre door panels with Electra seats. I remember that well on those final ones.” At the time these were new, nobody we knew owned one, though there was one I’d see regularly, while riding my bike, about five blocks from home.

As the 1990 deluxe Buick brochure confided, the Estate Wagon had “Room for everything. Including luxury … the comfort, convenience, and luxury features are impressive, including rich woven velour upholstery, full carpeting throughout, automatic transmission with overdrive, tilt steering column, power steering, power brakes with discs in front, and, of course, the greatest luxury of all: room.”

All Estate Wagons came standard with the 140-horsepower 307-cubic-inch V-8. Base price was $17,940 (about $42,247 today), curb weight was 4281 pounds, and 7838 of them were built for the model year. As had been the case since 1980, these had a 115.9-inch wheelbase, 220.5-inch overall length, and 79.3-inch width.

Available options included leather upholstery, as seen in our featured car, power windows, power door locks, a roof rack, Twilight Sentinel, cruise control, and a six-way power driver’s seat. The unmistakable exterior vinyl woodgrain appliques remained an optional extra as well.

Our featured ’90 Estate Wagon was spied on eBay quite some time ago. It could have been 10 years ago or even longer. At the time I was stunned with how showroom-fresh it appeared, and I loved the light blue (Mist Blue Metallic, according to my 1990 Buick color chart) with saddle tan leather harmonizing with the Di-Noc woodgrain sides. It was simply superb.

Though plenty of these had the wire wheel covers shown here, the only thing that could have made this car better would be the optional turbine alloy wheels—just like the one featured on Adventures in Babysitting.

Fun fact: Those wheels were only available on the Buick wagons, except for swan-song 1990. In 1990, you could also order them on the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser, though they had different center caps with the Olds Rocket emblem instead. Ask my friend Matt Smith how hard it is to find those Olds-specific center caps these days!

In 1990, only three of the four original full-size GM wagons remained: Chevy Caprice, Olds Custom Cruiser, and the Buick Estate Wagon. The Pontiac Safari was discontinued after 1989 for some reason. Never again would so much chrome and woodgrain gingerbread be seen on full-size American station wagons.

It was the end of the road for the 1980-style body, but not the end of the grand, luxurious full-size Buick station wagon. Starting in 1991, the totally restyled and renamed Roadmaster Estate Wagon would continue to carry the torch (albeit on pretty much the same chassis as this car) through the 1996 model year. And while it was pretty flossy, it didn’t have quite as much wood-toned trim as the 1980–90 Estate Wagons—though you could still get the woodgrain exterior siding. And after ’96, my friends, if you wanted a new luxury Buick station wagon, you were sadly out of luck.

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John Kiprian Wasenko, or “Kip,” as he is known to his friends who gather for cars and coffee at Pasteiner’s in Birmingham, Michigan, is a true son of the Motor City. Racer, artist, and lover of beautiful automobiles, this Dino driving, GT2-style Corvette-race-car wrassling car designer has a story that begins long before he ever got behind the wheel.

Getting the bug

In 1952, six-year-old Kip Wasenko often sat on the front porch of his family’s Detroit home, waiting for yet another new Caddy to drive down his street. The shiny new luxury cars were en route from the old Clark Street Assembly Plant to a nearby site where they will be loaded onto transports and shipped to dealers. To get there they had pass by the Wasenko residence near Livernois and Michigan. The boy on the porch was far too young to understand Cadillac’s place in the hierarchy of the automotive world, but he kew pretty sheet metal when he saw it.

GM was king in mid-century America, and Cadillac was the Lord Chamberlain of the General’s court, a fact regularly communicated to young Wasenko by an uncle who helped manage GM’s storied Motorama extravaganzas. Knowing the youngster’s fascination with automobiles, he would bring him brochures with artfully rendered illustrations of the new machinery.

Wasenko filled notebooks with his own renderings of fabulous machines, growing more proficient with each drawing and each passing year, becoming more deeply immersed in the world of wheels. As a teen, his passion turned to drag racing and performance, but he never stopped sketching, never stopped conjuring images of very special machines. Machines he longed to create, touch, and drive.

Before he turned 18, Wasenko knew what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He wanted to create cars. So, he enrolled at Detroit’s Wayne State University and majored in industrial design. His plan was to complete the Wayne State degree program, then continue his education at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Before he could get to step two of that plan, he was selected for an internship at General Motors.

In the General’s army

The work environment at GM was challenging and competitive, just the way Wasenko liked it. Drawing on years of devotion to all things automotive, he designed a mid-engine streamliner powered by a turbine. An unusual machine, it featured a vertical fin not unlike those used on some race cars today and a rear track that, for aerodynamic purposes, was narrower than the front track. Bill Mitchell, GM’s design chief, saw the young intern’s work and offered a job on the spot. Wasenko completed his degree work at Wayne State and started designing cars for GM on January 2, 1968. He would continue in that role for 40 years.

Wasenko’s career path saw many successes—too many to cover here. An early win was the acclaim afforded his design of a mid-engine twin-rotor Wankel-powered Corvette in the early 1970s. An assignment at Opel in Germany followed shortly thereafter, and he was able to present the rotary-engine car at the Frankfurt auto show. That car, and a larger four-rotor Vette that his boss Bill Mitchell penned, never saw production, as fuel economy concerns killed GM’s interest in rotary engines.

Wasenko’s work in Germany was followed by a stint at Holden, GM’s Australian brand, where he served as assistant design chief. Back in the states, he became chief designer at Saturn. But Cadillac had won his heart many years before, so a new assignment designing the cars he knew first and loved most saw Wasenko doing some of his best work and ultimately becoming director of design for Cadillac.

Art, science, high performance

The summer of 1998 was a high point in Wasenko’s career. With his Cadillac design team, he developed a concept car called Evoq that was meant to forge a new path for Cadillac styling. He then spent the summer in California supervising its construction at Metalcrafters, an auto industry fabricator. The car was unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January of ’99 and was hailed as a masterpiece of contemporary automotive art and a revolutionary new look for Cadillac. The car and Wasenko were invited to participate in a design show in Milan.

Evoq changed everything. A production version of the concept—the XLR—soon followed, heralding the birth of Cadillac’s Art and Science design language. Wasenko would continue to push the envelope, championing high-performance CTS-V and STS-V coupes and sedans that came to define the new Cadillac.

The Italians’ embrace of Evoq design in 1999 was reflective of Wasenko’s interest and passion for Italian design. His pride and joy has long been a beautiful red 1970 Dino 246 GT that he purchased in ’75 and restored to concours standards in 1991. The Ferrari-built mid-engine car was created as a loving tribute to Enzo’s son, Alfredo “Dino” Ferrari, who had been tragically taken by muscular dystrophy at the age of 24. Styled by Pininfarina with coachwork by Scaglietti, the car is considered one of the most sensuous designs ever to emerge from Maranello. For Wasenko, it was both model and motivation.

Cars that not only look fast but perform accordingly came to define Wasenko, and he would finish his career in the GM performance division with Mark Reuss, Tony Roma, and John Henricy. Racers all. They created pace cars and specialty vehicles for the SEMA show. They took the brand to Le Mans from 2000 to 2002 with a turbocharged V-8 prototype race car and proved competitive with the world’s best.

“Cadillac had it figured out by the end of our final Le Mans race but then backed out,” said Wasenko. “We were disappointed, but the amount of money allocated to the program wasn’t enough to continue to race Le Mans. The reality was that we should race what we sell, and we created a CTS-V race car that proved successful. But Le Mans is the big show and GM will be back this year with five race cars [Cadillac hypercars finished 3rd and 4th overall at the June 10–11 race—Ed.]. Credit Mark Reuss as the guy who kept the V-series alive and prompted a return to Le Mans and the world stage.”

Designed to be driven

Wasenko has always believed cars are meant to be driven, and in 1991, while still designing for Saturn, he cautiously but enthusiastically took to the race track in his gorgeous little Dino. “I took some heat for driving a classic in competition,” he recalls. “But my Dino racing was short-lived. Soon thereafter, I was invited to co-drive a Corvette race car, so the Dino was retired from competition with nary a scratch. In the winter of ’92, I built my own Corvette race car, and I’ve been competing in that same car for 30 years, with numerous upgrades and modifications along the way.”

Wasenko’s racing Corvette is a 1988 C4 that he purchased as a theft recovery survivor; it had been stripped down to its bare frame and rear body doghouse. That’s about where you want to start, he says, if you’re going to turn an older Vette into a race winner.

Danny Kellermeyer of Ortonville, Michigan, welded a full cage into that basic Vette donor car and Doug Chenoweth, a friend and forer racing partner, helped Wasenko turn it into a race car. And a race car it is, appearing regularly at Waterford Hills, an historic road racing course in Oakland County, Michigan. Running in ITE, a class that includes former GT cars and other pure race cars, Wasenko and his pretty Corvette came within 0.2 second of the track record last year. Power is provided by a 6.2-liter LS small-block Chevy engine with CNC-ported LS9 heads, a Callies crankshaft, Oliver connecting rods, and Mahle pistons that provide a compression ratio of 11.8:1. The intake is an LS fuel-injection system that was reprogrammed for competition. The engine was prepped and assembled by Kevin Pranger at Great Lakes Engines; on the dyno, it generated 550 horsepower at the rear wheels.

Wasenko stirs gears with a ZF six-speed manual that delivers power to a 4.10 gear set. At the end of the rear axles hang a pair of 345/35-18 Hoosier A7 sports car racing tires. Those are matched with rubber of the same manufacture up front.

When Wasenko was interviewed for this article, he expressed pride at having passed his pro race car driver physical. At age 76, that’s no small feat. When he’s not racing, he’s busy judging concours events all over the country, something he enjoys and is frequently called on to do. That’s no surprise—he’s been working on that keen eye for exact details since his boyhood days on the front porch.

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The Chevy small-block V-8 is perhaps the most famous engine ever produced by General Motors. It is a simple, stalwart design whose popularity and status only cemented as it became the powerplant of choice among hot-rodders. For more than 50 years, the small-block has been the backbone of affordable speed. However, just as significant in GM history is an engine that toiled (albeit less prominently) for nearly as long: the 3800 V-6.

Between its 1975 debut and its 2008 sunset, this 3.8-liter V-6 was installed under the hood of more than 25 million vehicles. Originally designed by Buick, it was mostly assigned to workhorse duty for Oldsmobile, Pontiac, and Buick, motivating fleets of sensible sedans and coupes. While the 3800 did enjoy a few flashes of auto enthusiast attention, it never got the same widespread adulation as the small-block or even the big-block, and many assign it second-tier status among engines in GM’s historic portfolio.

Here’s the story of how a derivative, near-castoff engine design came to be critical in fueling the fortunes of America’s largest car company.

Aluminum bad, iron good (but rough)

The 3800’s origins date back to the early 1960s, when Buick debuted the first V-6 passenger car engine ever to be manufactured in the United States. A byproduct of the company’s quest to produce its own unique, aluminum-block V-8 (marketed as the Fireball), the cast-iron V-6 Fireball was far easier and significantly cheaper to build. This being a mass-market powerplant, it also helped that the V-6 version did not suffer the high rate of defects associated with the V-8’s aluminum construction.

Unfortunately, despite the benefits of its relatively light weight, the Fireball V-6 retained several design elements from the V-8 that, initially, proved sub-par in translation. As a cost-cutting measure, GM effectively sliced a pair of cylinders from the end of the original engine while retaining the 90-degree bank angle. Though the V-8 enjoyed the balance of an even firing interval, the V-6 version had an odd firing interval that gave these early 3.2-liters a rough, rumbly idle.

Even with softer, flexible motor mounts to absorb vibrations, it won few fans. The V-6 floated through the small and “intermediate” Buick and Oldsmobile line-ups between 1962 and 1967, and even a displacement boost couldn’t convince GM execs to stay the course.

Instead of reengineering the V-6 at great cost, perhaps with a balance shaft, Buick made a shrewder move: it offloaded the Fireball V-6 tooling to Kaiser-Jeep, which had no qualms about stuffing a less-than-smooth motivator into its Jeeps and other rustic SUVs. Fortunately, a third-act mea culpa forced by the OPEC energy crisis saw GM buy back the rights to its own engine design from a cash-starved AMC in 1974, after realizing its fuel-efficient cupboards had run largely bare.

It’s here that the 3800 series found its true beginning.

Will the real V-6 please stand up?

Always cost-conscious, GM had first tried to sweet-talk AMC into handling manufacturing the overhead-valve V-6 engine. After being rebuffed (or repulsed by a desperate American Motors quoting an exceptionally high price tag for production, depending on which story you believe), GM changed tack. It took a quick and easy route to push the V-6 to the market for 1975, punching displacement out to its final 3.8-liter form—in its own factory—but leaving everything else about the motor unchanged.

The 3.8-liter V-6 saturated GM showrooms almost immediately, powering models as diverse as the Chevrolet El Camino, the Pontiac LeMans, and the Buick Skyhawk, with stops in the Oldsmobile Cutlass and the Pontiac Firebird along the way. With close to 20 different models laying claim to the V-6, economies of scale were such that Buick’s once-cast-off engine finally warranted the refinement and development it had previously been denied a decade before. This primarily took the form of a split-pin crankshaft that revised the engine with an even-firing pattern, effectively erasing the previous, unpleasant vibrations.

This one simple decision, arriving in 1977, helped cement the engine as the bedrock of the General Motors passenger car. However, despite its status as an affordable powerplant (true for both manufacturers and buyers), the V-6 was about to pull a power move seldom seen in the automotive world: The humble 3.8 made a play for enthusiasts’ hearts with a red-hot high-performance edition.

Soaring fuel prices and crushing emissions regulations, you may recall, had sidelined large-displacement V-8 engines for much of the 1970s. That caused automakers far and wide to search for alternatives to big cubic inches. Buick had been toying with turbocharging for several years prior to the 1978 launch of its T-Type family, and boosted versions of the V-6 ultimately covered almost every two-door car built by the brand. The setup even branched out into motivating the Pontiac Trans Am Turbo and Chevrolet Monte Carlo Turbo. Forced induction proved an unexpected edge for GM as it moved into the ’80s, culminating in the era-defining Regal Grand National and GNX models. These legendary eight-cylinder-slayers owe their success to the might of GM’s turbo 3.8-liter V-6 engines.

Front-wheel drive future

While the rear-drive Grand National and its longitudinal engine may have garnered the most headlines, it was the transverse version of the 3.8-liter V-6 that had the broadest influence in the industry. General Motors was knee-deep in its transition to front-wheel drive platforms by the middle of the 1980s, and it massaged and modified the 3.8 to meet this new challenge. In the space of a few short years, the engine abandoned carburetors for electronic fuel injection, lost its traditional ignition distributor, and gained a balance shaft—moves that thoroughly modernized the V-6 to match the expectations generated by the rising tide of competing Japanese imports.

By 1988, the 3800 moniker became official. It was applied to a fresh crop of 3.8-liter engines that embodied the sweeping updates making so-equipped GM cars competitive with Ford, Toyota, and Honda. Dubbed the “Series I,” the engine was initially assigned to the mid-size and full-size sedans and coupes first to heed GM’s front-wheel drive call. It wasn’t long, though, before the transverse 3800 had spread into nearly every corner of the Buick, Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Oldsmobile empire.

Once again the bread and butter of General Motors’ engine strategy, the 3800 was once again courting forced induction at the start of the 1990s. This time it was a supercharger (rather than a turbo) stuffing additional atmospheres into the combustion chamber, and a blower first found its way into big-boned Buicks via the Park Avenue and its Oldsmobile and Pontiac equivalents.

Stay of execution

One more major metamorphosis awaited the 3800, this one nearly 35 years after its initial Fireball debut. Dubbed the “Series II,” this V-6 variation represented the culmination of GM’s engine design prowess at the time. It arrived in 1995 with cross-bolt main bearing caps, bigger valves nestled inside larger cylinder heads, the highest compression ratio to date, and a composite intake manifold, among many other internal and external improvements (including a lower deck height that helped with packaging and reduced weight). Also along for the ride was an improved, Eaton-supercharged edition of the engine that became nearly as common as the naturally aspirated version. The 3800’s dominance of General Motors drivetrains was nearly impossible to escape in any sedan or coupe car larger than compact-size.

The 3.8-liter V-6 was well-positioned to ride out the rest of the decade in style. While it received a Series III update for 2004 (including throttle-by-wire and a new fuel injection system, along with an aluminum intake manifold to replace the previous plastic unit), the fundamentals remained the same until it was pulled from production in 2008. By that point, the 3800 had far outlived its planned obsolescence, arguably by almost a decade—proof of what its diehard reliability and appealing low cost meant to GM’s bottom line.

An ode to endurance

Time has caught up to nearly every pushrod engine. While the LS-series of small-block Chevrolet V-8s continues to generate massive profits in the pickup and SUV market, General Motors eventually yielded to the efficiency benefits and sophistication of dual overhead camshafts in its passenger cars. The relatively large displacement of the 3800 in this context—slightly greater than the company’s current range-topping 3.6-liter V-6—didn’t make it an appealing do-it-all base engine in a world where turbocharged four-cylinders dominate.

Still, the endurance and relevance of the 3800 is astounding. Even at the end of its lifespan, in terms of weight the iron-block engine was within spitting distance of the aluminum block V-6 that replaced it, and its horsepower, torque, emissions, and fuel efficiency remained competitive until its final hour. What began as a decidedly simple, budget-driven afterthought evolved over several decades into a decidedly unsexy yet remarkably effective multi-purpose tool. It plugged nearly every hole in the GM line-up for decades. Following initial bumps, GM committed to continual improvement and modernization that extracted an absurd tour of duty from an engine that was, at the outset, dumped on a rival’s doorstep.

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Four is the magic number when it comes to a new tie-up between General Motors and Tesla. The morning after GM announced that its vehicles will gain access to Tesla’s network of Superchargers in 2024, Reuters reports that GM’s and Tesla’s stocks were both up about four points. Stock for independent charge-station manufacturers ChargePoint and EVGo were both down about four points in late trading on Thursday.

GM’s Tesla partnership mirrors Ford’s, announced last month. The Michigan-based automaker said that, beginning in the spring of 2024, its vehicles will be able to use Tesla’s Superchargers, which make up about 60 percent of the fast (250–300 kW) chargers in the United States. Tesla’s charger network is known for being well-maintained, extensive, and concentrated in high-traffic areas.

GM’s announcement was made on Thursday on Twitter, of which Tesla founder Elon Musk is the owner. GM said it will equip its electric vehicles with adapters next year, and build EVs with connectors based on the Tesla North American Charging Standard design starting in 2025.

We're teaming up with @tesla to enhance your electric vehicle experience. More charging stations, less range anxiety, more sustainable journeys. It's about your convenience, not our competition. #EverybodyIn pic.twitter.com/D4joovLjPh

— General Motors (@GM) June 8, 2023

The Ford announcement, made last month on Twitter with Ford CEO Jim Farley, is similar. Initially, Ford and GM customers will have access to about 12,000 Tesla chargers in 2024, and more in 2025.

“We love the locations, we love the reliability, your routing software, the ease of use of the connector, the reliability of it,” Farley said.

“The most important thing is we advance the electric vehicle revolution,” Musk said Thursday.

“In order to drive EV adoption, we need to have a robust charging infrastructure. And so I’m really excited to announce our collaboration with you and with Tesla,” GM CEO Mary Barra said Thursday in a Twitter Spaces conversation with the Tesla CEO. The move “nearly doubles” the number of chargers GM customers can use initially, Barra said.

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Back in the 1970s, the Big Three’s primary product was: cars. Yes, cars. Coupes, sedans, station wagons, and convertibles. Sure, they made trucks and vans and sport utilities like Blazers, Broncos, Trail Dusters, and Scouts, but most vehicles were—I repeat—cars. And coupes were especially popular in the mid to late ’70s, with personal luxury coupe mania in full swing. Everyone wanted a Cordoba, Thunderbird, Elite, or Monte Carlo Landau. It was a better time.

Today everyone wants combovers. Whoops, I mean crossovers, which describes a truck-like passenger vehicle with poorer performance, a higher center of gravity, and around 20 percent higher MSRP than the compact or midsize sedan it was based on—when the sedan version was still in existence, anyway. If you’ve guessed I don’t care for them and their baked-potato styling and handling, you would be correct. But I’ve digressed enough as it is. Let’s talk about full-size late-’70s Buicks!

Nineteen seventy-eight was the second year of downsized GM fullsize cars, which included the B-body Impala/Caprice, Catalina/Bonneville, Delta 88, and LeSabre, as well as the flossier C-body Oldsmobile Ninety-Eight, Buick Electra/Park Avenue, and Cadillac de Ville/Fleetwood.

As you’d expect, one year after a complete and very expensive redesign, only minor trim differences separated the 1977s from the ’78s, visually. On Buick LeSabres, which at the time was the favorite of middle- and upper-middle class families all over America, that meant a new grille, taillights, and minor interior and paint/trim changes.

It was a big deal for Buick, as 1978 was the marque’s 75th anniversary. In the showroom brochure, vintage Buicks and Buick advertising were shown along with the new models.

As the deluxe showroom catalog confided, “You’ll notice that science and magic is nothing new to Buick. For 75 years, science has gone into making Buick a leader in engineering. And for just as long, the qualities of comfort and luxury that comprise Buick’s magic have been part of this tradition as well.”

The lowest price of entry for a new ’78 LeSabre was the base coupe, at $5451 ($25,362 today) before options. The base sedan was $5536 ($25,758). Production was 8265 and 23,354, respectively. Like all LeSabres and the related Estate Wagon, it rode a 115.9-inch wheelbase. Overall length was 218.2 inches for sedans and coupes (the Estate Wagon was 216.7 inches long). The 231-cubic-inch V-6 was standard equipment (except for the Estate Wagon, which got the 350 V-8 as base power), but if one was so inclined, you could order 301, 350, and 403 V-8s, with appropriate power increases, depending on your choice.

However, the fancier LeSabre Customs were far more popular amongst Buick buyers. The $6045 ($28,126) Custom sedan sold 86,638 copies, while the $5727 ($26,646) Custom coupe saw 53,675 examples produced for the model year. Extras on Customs included nicer upholstery and door panels and a “notchback” front bench seat.

While the personal luxury coupes like the Regal and Monte Carlo sold like dollar beer at a baseball game, when it came to full-size versions like the LeSabre, the four-door versions typically had the edge. LeSabre coupe production was still pretty good though. And the LeSabre coupe itself would last as a regular production model all the way to 1991. The redesigned ’92 LeSabre was sedan only for the first time since the nameplate debuted in 1959.

The most expensive two-door LeSabre in 1978 was the brand-new Sport Coupe—sporting a turbocharged 231-cu-in (3.8 liter) V-6 engine. Its base price was $6394 ($29,750).

It and the Regal Sport Coupe were both available with the turbo V-6 starting that year; few are seen these days, at least outside of Buick Club of America meets.

Today’s immaculate featured example is owned by Robert Reed, a friend of mine from California, who previously owned the triple white ’85 Fleetwood Brougham coupe featured here a couple of years ago. The Caddy has since been sold. Robert loved the car’s looks and remarkable condition, but as he told me, “That was a beautiful car, but to be honest with you, I didn’t enjoy driving it because it had the 4100 engine. It always acted like it was working its ass off to get it up to speed. I did enjoy fixing a cocktail and staring at it because it was pretty!”

Anyway, at some point in early 2022, I saw that he’d posted a few pictures of the Buick at a car show. I was immediately smitten and messaged him, demanding more pictures so I could write it up. He was happy to oblige.

“I bought it from the nephew of the original owner,” he wrote. “This was a special-order car to replace their ’74 LeSabre Coupe.

“Oddly loaded for a LeSabre: 403 V-8, power windows, locks, six-way power bench, 8-track, rear defogger, electric trunk release, quartz clock, speedalert speedometer, delay wipers, sport mirrors, passenger remote mirror control, bumper guards, premium Buick Road Wheels (available on the sport coupes, Custom Coupes with 403 V-8 option, and Estate Wagons).”

It’s a gorgeous conveyance, especially these days, when the rare lucky individual spies it amongst the gray, black, and white Equinoxes, Highlanders, and Cherokees. In 1978, the Great American Road did belong to Buick!

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Lloyd Reuss, who started as an engineer with General Motors and rose through the ranks to become its president in 1990, died on Friday.

Reuss graduated from the University of Missouri in 1957 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. He joined GM as an engineer in training and moved to the Chevrolet division as an engineer in December 1959. He then moved to Buick, where he became general manager, turning around the sagging division and scoring record sales in 1983. That success largely led to his appointment as GM president. After Reuss’ retirement at age 56, he became active in charities in Detroit.

Reuss was “a true ‘car guy’ and optimist, and he was always there to support dealers and stood tall as a champion of General Motors’ auto racing programs,” said Rick Hendrick, CEO of Hendrick Automotive and owner of Hendrick Motorsports, the four-car Chevrolet NASCAR team.

During his tenure as president, Reuss oversaw the GM Impact, a concept car that became the electric EV1, which was far ahead of its time. It debuted in 1990 at the Los Angeles auto show. Had GM continued its electric research at that level, it would likely have had a major advantage over its competitors now.

“Lloyd Reuss was a talented executive and leader of GM and was also a strong force for good in the community with his service, dedication and tireless efforts on behalf of others,” GM CEO Mary Barra said. “My thoughts and deepest sympathies, along with those of everyone at General Motors,” are with the Reuss family, she said.

The Automotive Hall of Fame gave Reuss a Distinguished Service Citation Award in 2006, saying that his work for the nonprofit Focus: HOPE were noteworthy. Focus: HOPE CEO William F. Jones said then that Reuss “set the standard for corporate leadership. As successful as he was in the auto industry, he has been equally successful in providing education and training opportunities to thousands of Detroiters.”

At Focus: HOPE, Lloyd helped create the Center for Advanced Technologies, that led to more than 300 underserved students earning associate and bachelor’s degrees in engineering, said The Detroit News.

Reuss’ son, Mark Reuss, is GM’s current president and head of the automaker’s international operations.

Lloyd Reuss was 86.

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Feds’ new EV tax-credit rules are as strict as expected

Intake: The federal government on Friday unveiled its new tax-credit rules, deciding which EVs would get a tax break and which ones wouldn’t. The U.S. Treasury Department’s stricter rules will reduce or remove tax credits—which range up to $7500—for some zero-emission models but grant buyers another two weeks, until April 18. On that day, the new requirements take effect, and the Treasury Department publishes a list of eligible vehicles. The rules, which reward vehicles with batteries made in the U.S., are designed to wean the United States off its dependence on China for the materials needed to make EVs. The revised tax-credit rules are part of President Joe Biden’s effort to make 50 percent of U.S. new vehicle sales by 2030 EVs or plug-in hybrids, Reuters said.

Exhaust: Part of the EV tax credits, according to Reuters, require that 50 percent of the value of battery components be produced or assembled in North America to qualify for $3750 of the available credit and 40 percent of critical minerals sourced from the United States or a country with which it has a free-trade agreement. The Biden administration believes that over time the tax credit will result in more EVs sold as automakers scramble to revamp supply chains to meet critical mineral and battery component rules. It is not immediately clear when or how many EVs will lose tax credits or see them cut. — Steven Cole Smith

Baby Bugatti is getting its own little race series

Intake: It might only be three-quarters the size of the real thing, but we already know that the Baby Bugatti II from The Little Car Company is 100 percent fun. Now the scaled-down classic, together with drivers both young and old, will be put through its paces at some of Britain’s most historic racing venues. The UK Bugatti Baby II Championship will see 20 adult-and-child teams compete against each other in a three-pronged sprint series that takes in Silverstone and the Prescott Hill Climb—home of the Bugatti Owners’ Club—as well as The Little Car Company’s home at Bicester Heritage, in Oxfordshire. To be eligible, young drivers must be between the ages of 10 and 14 years old, and, while there’s no upper limit for mum or dad there’s a maximum height of 6 feet, 2 inches. You don’t need to own one of the £50,000 cars ($62,000) as the £4950 ($6100) entry fee is worked out on an arrive-and-drive basis with a car and factory support included. Entrants will even be offered coaching from Bugatti development driver and speed record holder Andy Wallace, and although the all-electric Baby’s top speed is only around 40 mph, we’re sure it will feel at least 25 percent faster.

Exhaust: This new series marks the first time in almost a century that junior Bugattis have actually been raced. Ettore Bugatti built the first Baby for his five-year-old son Roland in 1926 but such was the response it soon went into production, with around 500 examples built between 1927 and 1936. These half-scale replicas of the Type 35 Grand Prix were sold new for 5000 francs, an equivalent of $3500 today, and only 100 or so are believed to still exist. As a result, originals have been known to sell for over $100,000 and we can’t imagine anyone daring to race one. — Nik Berg

Surprise OPEC oil cuts should mean, yep, higher gas prices

Intake: The price of a gallon of gas, already inching upward because of the season, is set to climb higher. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia and other major oil producers announced surprise cuts, totaling up to 1.15 million barrels per day from May until the end of the year, “a move that could raise prices worldwide,” according to the Associated Press. The production cuts alone could push U.S. gasoline prices up by roughly 26 cents per gallon, in addition to the usual increase that comes when refineries change the gasoline blend during the summer driving season, said Kevin Book, managing director of Clearview Energy Partners LLC. The normal seasonal increase is about 32 cents a gallon, according to the Energy Department. Iraq said it would reduce production by 211,000 barrels per day, the United Arab Emirates by 144,000, Kuwait by 128,000, Kazakhstan by 78,000, Algeria by 48,000 and Oman by 40,000. Our gas prices likely won’t reach the level they did one year ago, when the national average was about $4.50.

Exhaust: The cuts mean money in the pocket of Russian president Vladimir Putin, AP says, whose country will cut production by 500,000 barrels per day. All the countries involved are members of the so-called OPEC+ group of oil-exporting countries, which includes the original Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries as well as Russia and other major producers. — SCS

GM to drop Apple Car Play and Android Auto

Intake: CNN is reporting that General Motors plans to phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, technologies that allow a driver to bypass the vehicle’s native infotainment system and instead mirror their smartphone’s display, via software designed by the cell-phone manufacturer. In lieu of CarPlay or Android Auto, future GM electric vehicle will shift to built-in infotainment systems developed with Google. CNN suggests GM’s decision to stop offering those systems in future electric vehicles, starting with the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer, could help the automaker capture more data on how consumers drive and charge EVs.

Exhaust: GM would benefit from focusing engineers and investment on one approach to more tightly connect in-vehicle infotainment and navigation with features such as assisted driving, Edward Kummer, GM chief digital officer, and Mike Hichme, executive director of digital cockpit experience, said in an interview. “We have a lot of new driver assistance features coming that are more tightly coupled with navigation,” Hichme told Reuters. “We don’t want to design these features in a way that are dependent on a person having a cellphone.” — SCS

Gas-sipping Golf on the way out

Intake: VW will not develop a new, ninth-generation Golf with a combustion engine after the current model reaches the end of its life cycle, according to Automotive News and its European sister publication Automobilwoche. The current, eighth-generation Golf will get a freshening next year. “That puts it in a great position until the end of the decade. Then we will have to see how the segment develops,” VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer told Automobilwoche. “If the world develops completely differently than expected by 2026 or 2027, then we can also launch a completely new vehicle again. But I don’t expect that to happen. So far, that’s not planned,” Schaefer said.

Exhaust: The Golf has been in production since 1974 and its name will be retained for a battery-electric vehicle. The internal-combustion-engine Golf’s exit won’t happen before 2028, Schäfer said, in concert with the arrival of the company’s new SSP electric platform. — SCS

Ford tuning out AM radios in ICE and EVs

Intake: Ford plans to stop installing AM radio in new gas-powered and electric vehicles beginning in 2024, including the all-electric Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup, the Detroit Free Press has confirmed. “We are transitioning from AM radio for most new and updated 2024 models,” Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood told the Free Press. There have been multiple manufacturers who complain that AM frequencies cause problems for electric vehicles, and therefore they dropped AM, but Ford is killing AM even in combustion-engine vehicles, though it will stay on in commercial vehicles.

Exhaust: According to The Verge, Ford was joined by BMW, Mazda, Polestar, Rivian, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo in staking out the position that AM radio is incompatible with EVs, citing electromagnetic interference from the powertrain. Tesla made this same argument when it dropped AM radio from its vehicles back in 2018. This can be troubling, as AM is often the best source for emergency broadcasts. — SCS

Tesla Semi gets first recall

Intake: The electric Tesla Semi truck, which began limited sales a few months ago, has its first recall, due to a supplier-sourced part. According to Electrek.co, the recall was announced on the NHTSA’s recall website, showing that the issue involves the parking brake and affects 35 vehicles. Apparently the electronic parking-brake module could fail to engage due to air leakage within the unit, leaving drivers unaware that it isn’t activated, possibly leading to a rollaway incident when the driver releases the service brake. This problem was identified as affecting 35 “Intellipark Valve Modules,” all from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems.

Exhaust: Teslas detractors delight in posting photos of disabled Tesla trucks by the side of the road, but that wouldn’t be due to this parking-brake issue. Any all-new vehicle, especially one as ambitious as the Tesla Semi, is bound to suffer teething issues. — SCS

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Tesla tops Ford in U.S. brand loyalty

Intake: General Motors and Tesla came out on top in the 2022 Automotive Loyalty Awards, with Tesla topping Ford for U.S. brand loyalty for the first time, the S&P Global Mobility survey company said, according to Automotive News. GM won the “Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer” award, while Tesla won the “Overall Loyalty to Make,” beating out Ford for the first time in the last 12 years, a result long spurred by customer loyalty to the top-selling F-Series pickups. S&P Global Mobility says loyalty “is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and acquired another new vehicle of the same make, model or manufacturer. The newly acquired vehicle may be either a replacement or an addition to the household fleet.” Subaru won the “Overall Loyalty to Dealer” for the first time—38 percent of Subaru owners buy their next vehicle from the same dealer.

Exhaust: These awards are a big deal in the automotive industry. “As customers are returning to market post-pandemic and inventory levels have slowly improved from last year’s lows, retaining loyal customers has been more challenging than ever before,” Joe LaFeir, S&P Global Mobility president, said in a statement. The loyalty awards are the result of an analysis of 11.7 million new U.S. retail vehicle registrations in 2022. —Steven Cole Smith

IIHS makes it way tougher to get Top Safety Pick awards for 2023

Intake: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is strengthening the requirements for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2023, demanding better side-crash protection along with improved pedestrian crash-prevention systems and eliminating subpar headlights from the field of qualifying vehicles. As a result of the tougher criteria, only 48 models qualify for 2023 awards. Of those, 28 earn Top Safety Pick+ and 20 earn Top Safety Pick. Last year, before changes to the award requirements, there were 101 winners, including 65 earning the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+.

Exhaust: “The number of winners is smaller this year because we’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” said IIHS President David Harkey. The biggest change to the criteria for both awards is the replacement of the original IIHS side-crash test with the updated evaluation launched in 2021. The updated test involves 82 percent more energy than the original test. Vehicles must earn an acceptable or good rating to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a good rating is required for the “plus.” The plus criteria include another new evaluation, the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash-prevention test. Advanced or superior performance is required in both the nighttime and daytime pedestrian tests for the higher award. For Top Safety Pick, only a daytime rating of advanced or superior is required. —SCS

Tesla applies for “ultra-hard” steel patent

Intake: Tesla has applied for a patent on a new “ultra-hard” steel alloy that it apparently plans to use with the Cybertruck electric pickup truck, says Electrek. The Cybertruck will use a bare-metal steel exoskeleton, and while the patent doesn’t spell out in so many words that the steel would be for the Cybertruck, there are multiple clues in the patent filing, such as the statement that: “In some embodiments, an exterior surface of the exterior panel does not comprise paint.” 

Exhaust: According to Electrek, it’s still not clear who is going to manufacture this alloy for Tesla, but cites rumors that Steel Dynamics, which is operating a new, giant plant in Texas not too far from where Tesla plans to manufacture the Cybertruck, could be the source. Tesla still plans to start production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas in Austin this summer and ramp up volume next year. That seems ambitious, but we know better than to tell Elon Musk something isn’t possible. —SCS 

New GM patent aims to cure smudgy screens

Intake: General Motors has filed a patent that could help remedy the smudges that befall massive touchscreens when you—no, the passenger, certainly not you—jab at the screen to swap from radio to navigation and then back again. According to a report from Automotive News, the patent is for a process that uses “light from violet micro-LEDS that is invisible to the eye but can react with a photocatalyst built into the coating of the display.” The reaction between the light and the photocatalyst would supposedly erase any smudges by drawing on water found in the air. According to the patent document, what makes GM’s process different from existing smudge-reduction tech is that its version works in scenarios with low light—think at night or when the vehicle glass is tinted, which it is on almost all vehicles nowadays. GM hasn’t said when such an innovation will reach production cars—or whether it even will, for that matter.

Exhaust: With screens like the 38-inch OLED behemoth found in the Cadillac Escalade, a smudge-eliminating feature seems like a worthy pursuit. Having to pause your luxuriating to grab a microfiber and scrub away oily prints is the antithesis of a posh experience. —Nathan Petroelje

NASCAR TV ratings down early in the season

Intake: NASCAR ratings sagged for the second running of the Busch Light Clash in the L.A. Coliseum, down 15 percent from the inaugural race last year. Similarly, the Daytona 500 ratings were down 7 percent in ratings and 8 percent in viewership from last year, making the audience the third-smallest ever for the race. Still, the Daytona race handily scored the highest ratings for the weekend for a sporting event, outpacing the NBA All-Star game.

Exhaust: Ratings aren’t in yet for the Palo Casino 400, the second race of the full season, which ran Sunday night, but the event—the last on the two-mile oval at the speedway in Fontana, California, before NASCAR shortens the track—was a sellout, as was the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch won Sunday’s race, in only his second outing with Richard Childress Racing. —SCS 

Florida state senator wary of electric cars on the road in an evacuation

Intake: According to CBS News Miami, a state senator has suggested that state transportation officials are considering limiting the use of electric vehicles during hurricane (and other natural disaster) evacuations. Senator Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) raised a concern that electric vehicles could become “roadblocks” if they run out of power on highways crowded with fleeing residents. “With a couple of guys behind you, you can’t get out of the car and push it to the side of the road. Traffic backs up. And what might look like a two-hour trip might turn into an eight-hour trip once you’re on the road,” Martin said during a discussion on charging stations at the Senate Select Committee on Resiliency.

Exhaust: Trey Tillander, executive director of transportation technologies at the Florida Department of Transportation, said he’d bring the topic up with agencies including the Florida Highway Patrol. But the department’s preference, he said, is to find ways to help electric-vehicle owners during evacuations. “Some of the things we’re looking into [are] portable EV chargers,” Tillander said. “So, if an electrical vehicle runs out of charge, there are technologies. We have our Road Rangers. We have our emergency-assistance vehicles that we deploy during a hurricane evacuation that have gas. We need to provide that same level of service to electric vehicles.” —SCS 

After garage fire, MotoAmerica bans lithium-polymer batteries 

Intake: After watching Matty Scholtz’s Westby Racing Yamaha R1 spontaneously combust in background of an interview two weeks ago, MotoAmerica moved swiftly to ban the battery chemistry that caused that fire, citing rider safety concerns. “This rule has been implemented due to the safety risks associated with LIPO [lithium-polymer] batteries, including overheating, swelling, and explosion. We take the safety of our participants and spectators seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that puts them at risk.” Per the announcement, lead-acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are approved and can be used. 

Exhaust: Battery fires are something racetracks and race organizations are relatively unfamiliar with, and the sudden and documented nature of the Westby Racing fire made the situation pretty scary. This new rule came fast and for good reason. Batteries can be damaged during a crash and appear fine until a corner worker goes out to clear the track surface. This ruling helps protect more than the riders; it also preserves the safety of anyone who gets near one of the bikes in the paddock, around the hot pits, on the racing surface, or during transport. —Kyle Smith

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The 2023 Super Bowl had a little bit of everything: incredible plays, controversial calls, and an outcome that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. As for the annual “game within the game”—the highly anticipated and ultra-expensive commercials—we felt a little short-changed when it came to the automotive-related ads. Or we were feeling that way until Stellantis saved the day with its Ram masterpiece.

To our disappointment, some heavyweights sat out this year and watched from the sideline like the rest of us. We get it. In these uncertain economic times it’s tough to justify paying $7 million for a 30-second spot—there are stockholders to answer to and all that. So, since we can’t tell manufacturers how to spend their money, we’ll just say this: We missed you, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, and Nissan.

More importantly, we needed you guys on the field, especially after you helped raise the advertising bar with some extremely effective commercials in 2020, ’21, and ’22. With that said, it’s hard to imagine anyone beating Ram this year, so maybe the rest of y’all did the right thing.

Congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38–35, and to those 30- and 60-second spots that entertained us.

TOUCHDOWN

RAM: “Premature Electrification”

Hands-down the best automotive Super Bowl commercial of 2023, Stellantis scores a touchdown (and a two-point conversion) for its absolutely hilarious spoof on ads for men’s performance-enhancing drugs. Narrated by comedian Jason Jones, the commercial debuts the production version of the Ram 1500 REV electric pickup on the same day that Stellantis begins accepting online orders for the truck. 

With Jones leading the discussion, we hear from couples who bought early EVs and realized too late that the cars just don’t have the juice to consistently get the job done, a malady called “Premature Electrification.” While RAM’s new electric pickup won’t be available until sometime in 2024, the promise from Stellantis is that a solution is on the way, and it’s definitely worth waiting for. There’s even a drug-like disclaimer at the bottom of the screen: “Ask a professional if Ram 1500 REV is right for you. Reserve today at RamREV.com.”

We could say so much more, but words cannot compare to watching it for yourself. Do it. Now.

GM & Netflix: “Why not an EV?”

Will Ferrell does it again. Two years after he nailed his “No Way, Norway” rant on behalf of General Motors’ electric vehicles, he’s back alongside a selection of Netflix stars to promote—you guessed it—GM EVs. What does one have to do with the other? We’ll let Ferrell explain.

“General Motors is going electric,” he says in the 60-second commercial, as Army of the Dead zombies swarm his GM Sierra EV Denali. “And Netflix is joining in by including more EVs in their movies and shows. It’s the least they can do. So if you’re going to get swarmed by an army of the dead, why not get swarmed in an EV?

“Ow! I said no biting!”

We later see Ferrell (in a fleet of GM EVs, some of which aren’t available yet) in Squid Game, Bridgerton, Queer Eye, and posing as Dustin Henderson in Stranger Things. The commercial ends with Ferrell, now a zombie, sharing a ride with the monster who bit him in the first scene.

“Oh, Gordon, you kill me. You literally did kill me.”

This one killed us too. In a good way.

Jeep: “Electric Boogie”

Not quite as good as Ram’s gem, but this fun EV commercial from Jeep secures Stellantis’ position as Super Bowl LVII car-commercial champion. Focusing on Jeep’s Wrangler 4xe and Grand Cherokee 4xe plug-in hybrid electric SUVs, the commercial blends the future of automobiles with great retro music. The remix of Marcia Griffiths’ 1983 hit “Electric Boogie,” which includes reggae artist Shaggy, is so good that even the wildest of jungle beasts can’t help but dance along. Naturally, Jeep is hoping you dance all the way into the showroom.

Sam Adams: “Your Cousin’s Brighter Boston”

Before you say it, we know this isn’t a car commercial. But we’re so desperate for something good that we’re making an exception, especially since we saw some cars in it. Better still, it reminds us of Hyundai’s hilarious “Smaht Pahk” from 2020, which plays big on the wicked awesome stereotypes of Bostonians’ accents and not-always-friendly personalities.

If you’re from Boston, and you hate this, our apologies. Maybe you’d rather hug a New Yorker? Regardless, we laughed at this alternate reality of a “Brighter Boston.” It’s so well done, in fact, that we even remember the product that was advertised. Let’s all raise a glass to Sam Adams.

FIELD GOAL

Kia: “Binky Dad”

Kia is pretty proud of its 14th Super Bowl commercial, explaining in a pregame press release that “the new 2023 Kia Telluride’s rugged and refined personality is on full display in this action-packed tale of everyday heroism.” Hmmm. The commercial is cute, yes. And mildly entertaining. But while we can all relate to the poor dad who “forgot the binky” and went to great lengths to go back and get it, is that effort heroic? Maybe to his wife and baby daughter. 

Regardless, the unexpected ending saves this one, even if it doesn’t exactly drive home the tagline: “Kia Telluride X-Pro. More ruggedly capable.”

If you disagree and you’re looking for more, we’re told that three alternate endings are available exclusively on TikTok. Considering Kia is paying $233,333.33 per second for the TV version, we’re guessing we’ve already seen the best one.

Universal: Fast X trailer

There’s a small part of us that wonders how this saga is still cruising—didn’t we go to space last time around? Nevertheless, Fast X popped into the Super Bowl ad mayhem with all the hallmarks of the franchise: cars, action, explosions, and Dom Toretto’s favorite: family.

The recipe is familiar at this point, but it’s familiar in the way that an old, well-worn sweatshirt is—a little corny, but welcome nonetheless. The usual cast of wild cars is on full display, from svelte Alfa Romeos and McLarens to Dom’s inimitable Dodge Charger and more. (If we were betting people, we’d have money down on an appearance of Dodge’s all-electric Daytona SRT Concept, made public in August of ’22.)

While the YouTube trailer was just 60 seconds long, there’s a full trailer out for the new Fast X movie as well, which you can view here. Fast X hits theaters May 19.

Uber One: “Diddy makes a hit song”

Again, this isn’t exactly an automotive commercial, but it slips in on a technicality since an Uber driver requires a motor vehicle. In this one, Sean “Diddy” Combs is asked to make a hit song—a song, not a jingle, since “Diddy don’t do jingles”—on behalf of Uber One, a membership program for Uber and Uber Eats. 

He auditions potential collaborators like Montell Jordan, Kelis, Donna Lewis, and the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis, who sing Uber-focused versions of their own hit songs before Diddy settles on Haddaway’s “What Is Love” version. “Uber One. Uber One saves me, saves me … way more.” 

In the end, Uber marketing execs don’t look exactly thrilled with the finished product, but one of Combs’ sidekicks makes it clear that “Diddy is excited.” We’re not sure who wins on this one, but the ad is amusing enough and effective enough to earn a field goal, if only because we can’t get that dang jingle—we mean hit song—out of our head.

WeatherTech: “We All Win”

Here’s one thing we can always count on this time of year: WeatherTech’s high-quality automotive products and get-’er-done crew will roll out a Super Bowl commercial, and the spot will almost always be patriotic. Don’t ever tell America that it can’t. WeatherTech proves that it can. Again. That’s gotta be good enough for a field goal.

FUMBLE

Paramount: Transformers: Rise of the Beasts

Shown moments before kickoff, the Transformers trailer got off on the right foot by showing us a sweet early-generation Porsche 911 … and things went down from there. The seventh installment of the action series is scheduled to hit theaters on June 9 with a new breed of Transformer—the Maximal—as the earthly battle continues between Autobots and Decepticons. But we had to find that out on our own. As for the commercial, we didn’t see anything to get excited about after our first glimpse of the 911.

Everyone else: “Missed Opportunity”

When we first heard the news that the Super Bowl was going to be light on automotive commercials, we were bummed out, of course. Now we’re wondering if those who skipped it are feeling a little remorseful. When you add it all up, the entire night was about as good as it gets for a sporting event that rarely lives up to the hype: great game, entertaining halftime (you go, Rhianna), and strong ads overall.

While we still have the microphone, Bradley Cooper and his mom trying to sell T-Mobile and Ben Affleck working the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru were the cherries on the Sunday. (Yes, we meant to spell it that way.)

Think we nailed it? Think we blew it? Since opinions are like belly buttons, you must have one. Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. (And if you disagree, please keep it civil, folks.)

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Production-spec electric Ram REV debuts during Super Bowl

Intake: A clever one-minute ad during the closing half of Super Bowl LVII showed the actual Ram REV, something we hadn’t seen until then. The looks are toned down considerably from the Ram prototype that was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but it’s still identifiable as something different from the regular Ram. Details on the REV remain sketchy—the website does announce that “a sophisticated front full fascia and lower grille surround complement this electric truck’s already heroic demeanor,” but that’s about it. Mostly the site shows how you can become a Ram Insider+ by sending them $100 to reserve your place in line when the truck goes into production next year, with delivery in the fourth quarter of 2024. That gives Ford and GM quite a jump on their electric trucks before the Ram REV makes its entrance.

Exhaust: It’s undeniably a good-looking truck, but so are the Ford and GM electrics. Ram will need some innovative engineering and features, something more than a “heroic demeanor,” and it needs to reveal them soon if it wants customers to wait a year and a half before buying an electrified pickup. — Steven Cole Smith

Subaru issues a “do not drive” on some 2023 Solterras

Intake: In what amounts to a re-recall, Subaru is issuing a “do not drive” advisory on 1182 Solterras made for the 2023 model year. These electric vehicles were the subject of an earlier recall requiring the replacement of original hub bolts. Subaru identified an issue with vehicles repaired at two port locations by one particular team of contractors. The teams did not properly complete the repair procedure resulting in the potential for significantly under-torqued bolts. Out of an abundance of caution, Subaru is recalling all vehicles repaired at all port locations supported by the third-party contractor. Vehicles without the original hub bolt recall and vehicles repaired at other facilities are not affected.

Exhaust: For all potentially affected vehicles, Subaru retailers will inspect the hub bolts and, if necessary, retorque to the specification at no cost to the customer, who will be instructed not to drive their vehicle and to contact their retailer to have the vehicle towed for inspection. Towing will be offered at no cost. — SCS

2024 Volkswagen Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport get a refresh

Intake: Volkswagen’s largest SUVs, the seven-passenger Atlas and five-passenger Atlas Cross Sport get a refresh inside and out for the 2024 model year, with the vehicles available in the third quarter of this year. Outside, there’s a new front-end design and greater differentiation between Atlas and Atlas Cross Sport. On both cars, a wide chrome four-bar grille is framed by LED headlights with the newly standard adaptive front-lighting system. At the rear, both models add a larger spoiler, lengthening the overall roofline of the vehicles and giving them a sleeker side profile. Atlas Cross Sport models add a more aggressive rear diffuser than the previous generation, further differentiating the two models. All trims get new wheel designs, ranging from 18 to 20 inches with machined alloy and black finishes available. R-line trims up the ante with a gloss-black grille, 21-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, and signature R-line badging. Under the hood, power will come solely from a four-cylinder turbocharged and direct-injection engine with 269 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The six-cylinder engine goes away.

Exhaust: We’ll miss the VR6 engine, but the four-cylinder actually has more torque, and towing capacity (5000 pounds) remains the same. An eight-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive are standard; Volkswagen’s 4Motion all-wheel-drive system is available across the model lineup. — SCS

Lucid linked with Aston Martin when AMG arrangement ends

Intake: Luxury EV startup Lucid Motors is in talks with Aston Martin, according to a new report. A story by well-connected German journalist Georg Kacher in Car and Driver suggests that a partnership between the two companies would literally electrify Aston Martin’s business, while offering Lucid expertise in vehicle architecture, design, and personalization. It would also give Lucid access to Aston Martin dealers worldwide. Why would Aston Martin need this trans-Atlantic hook-up when it already has an agreement with Mercedes-AMG? Kacher suggests that the rapid exit of former AMG boss Tobias Moers from his job as Aston’s CEO in 2022 means that the German-British relationship is souring. There’s no suggestion that Mercedes would pull the plug early on the arrangement, but an insider told Kacher, “AMG and Pagani—that’s true friendship. AMG and Aston is merely a business case with a fixed expiration date.”

Exhaust: Aston Martin’s 110-year history has been plagued with financial instability and the company seems like it’s almost always up for sale. Under Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin has been floated (though the share price isn’t exactly buoyant) and refinanced, but it will need a strong partner in order to develop the electric vehicles it will be compelled to produce before the decade is out. Lucid comes with big backing in the form of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, but there’s another potential bidder in the form of China’s Geely. Boss Li Shifu is an Aston Martin fan and already owns a sizable share of the British brand which he could be looking to increase, and with Geely comes EV expertise in the form of Polestar and Lotus. —Nik Berg

John Deere debuts electric zero-turn mower

Intake: Yes, we know it’s not a car, but it has a motor and four wheels, so allow us to present the first electric zero-turn riding mower from John Deere, as the company begins a serious electric campaign. The Z370R Electric ZTrak has a 42-inch deck and is designed for residential customers, and it’s capable of mowing two acres between 110-volt charges to its sealed lithium-ion battery. Reportedly it’s almost silent and vibration-free.

Exhaust: The price is $6399, and it comes with a 5-year, 200-hour battery warranty. That’s about double the cost of a conventional 42-inch John Deere 20-horsepower zero-turn mower. — SCS

Lyft takes a hit as Uber advances

Intake: The ride-sharing service Lyft lost more than a third of its market value on Friday after a “bleak forecast fueled worries that the company’s price cuts to avoid being a distant second to Uber in the North American ride-sharing market would squeeze profits,” reports Reuters. The story quotes analysts who predicted that any additional business at Lyft would not be enough to offset lower prices. Uber and Lyft have been “locked in a battle for market share” with latest earnings showing Uber’s global presence and more diversified business were “giving it an edge over rideshare- and U.S.-focused Lyft.” Lyft shares hit their worst day on record after closing 36.4 percent lower, as the sell-off erased over $2 billion in the company’s market value and nearly all of its share price gains this year.

Exhaust: The battle is reminiscent of the Sirius and XM fight for superiority in the satellite radio business. In the end, there was only room for one, and the companies merged. Maybe that’s the future here, too. — SCS

Build the world’s smallest street-legal car

Intake: “The Peel P50, produced in the early 1960s, was the smallest production automobile in the world. And now a new kit allows handy folks to build their own replica, although this time, it’s electric,” says Electrek.co. Peel went out of business in 1965, but a new company, known as P50 Cars, has created a replica that is “much easier to get your hands onto than one of the original 50 production models.” This P50 uses a 4-kW motor that is good for speeds up to 28 mph. The British manufacturer says it takes about 50 hours to assemble. The kit starts at £10,379 (approximately $12,600).

Exhaust: Sure it’s just a light vehicle, limited in speed and utility like a road-equipped golf cart, but isn’t it cute? Check out the P50 website here. — SCS

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This (and every) Valentine’s Day, we take a moment to celebrate two becoming one. We buy cards, chocolates, and dozens of roses to mark the couplings which lead to a successful and long-lasting relationships.

In the car industry there’s plenty to cheer as well, as these ten happy manufacturer marriages prove.

Toyota and Subaru

Toyota and Subaru hooked up in 2008 in a marriage of convenience when the Japanese giant took a 16.5 percent share of its smaller rival. After a four-year honeymoon period, their first offspring was a set of terrific twins: the Toyota GT86 (née Scion FRS, for the U.S.) and the Subaru BRZ.

Toyota did most of the design and engineering work, but the cars’ character came from their shared Subaru flat-four motor. Just the right amount of power and just the right amount of grip made the BRZ/GT86 siblings a hoot to drive and drift. The first generation lasted nine years with a follow-up arriving in 2021 that’s every bit as entertaining … with yet another name change for the Toyota, to GR86.

Lotus and Chevrolet

Lotus has been married and divorced more times than Donald Trump, having formal relationships with General Motors, Bugatti’s Romano Artioli, Proton, and now Geely.

During its seven-year hitch to GM, Lotus Engineering was brought in to work on a number of GM group products including the Isuzu Piazza Turbo, the Vauxhall/Opel Lotus Carlton, the Dodge Spirit R/T, and the C4 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. For the “King of the Hill,” Lotus designed a 5.7-liter, 375-hp aluminum block, quad-cam, 32-valve V-8, and installed adjustable Bilstein suspension to live up to the “handling by Lotus” moniker.

Mercedes and AMG

The story of AMG actually began inside 1960s’ Mercedes-Benz when Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher worked together on the 300 SE racing engine. They left to form their own business Aufrecht Melcher Großaspach in 1967 and by 1971 were world famous after their “Red Pig” AMG Mercedes 300 SEL won the 24 Hours of Spa.

Alongside continued racing success Aufrecht and Melcher moved on to tuning Mercedes’ road cars, developing their own engines from 1984. In 1990 the quality of AMG’s engineering was recognized by Mercedes and the pair signed a cooperation contract. In 2005 AMG was acquired by Mercedes leading to the in-house skunkworks that we know so well, thanks to cars ranging from the C36 to the wild One.

AC and Shelby

When this small British sports-car maker and all-American racer hooked up, there were fireworks. Carroll Shelby identified the little AC Ace as a potential race winner if it could just pack a bit more of a punch and enlisted Ford for a motorsports ménage à trois.

The Shelby Cobra and its small-block V-8 would make history at Le Mans, Daytona, Monza, and the Nürburgring, to name but three of its famous victories. In the 60 years since it was conceived, the Cobra has continued to be built on both sides of the Atlantic in numerous iterations. A legend that lives on and on.

McLaren and BMW

The story of the McLaren F1 has been told many times over, but if it weren’t for the relationship forged between Gordon Murray and Paul Rosche at BMW, would this midengine beast have been such a spectacular success?

Murray had been looking to the Formula 1 team’s engine supplier Honda to provide a V-10 but the collaboration didn’t work out. BMW’s M Division came to the rescue with a bespoke, 6.1-liter, 620-hp V-12, quite possibly the best engine ever built by the German brand.

Mercedes and Porsche

In the early days of Mercedes’ romance with AMG, the company was also conducting a one-car stand with Porsche. The result of this dalliance was the 500E, a high-performance version of the W124 E-Class, which was hand-assembled by Porsche.

It was powered by a five-liter V-8 from the SL roadster, with uprated brakes to cope, and building it was anything but simple. Each one had to be shuttled the 20 miles between Mercedes at Sindelfingen and Porsche in Zuffenhausen. Mercedes provided a kit of parts to which Porsche added the car’s flared front fenders, then the 500Es would be back to Benz for painting, before taking a last trip to Porsche for final assembly. It was a complicated arrangement, but made for one of the most exciting sedans of the early ’90s.

Porsche and Audi

Porsche’s affair with Mercedes fizzled out when the last 500E was built, but few rebound relationships produce better results than the RS2, which Porsche built for Audi on the same production line.

Porsche started with the sensible B4 Avant—and went all-out on its 2.2-liter five-cylinder engine. In addition to a bigger turbo and intercooler, plus uprated injectors, Porsche upgraded the powertrain’s cooling and induction and exhaust systems to justify the “Powered by Porsche” cast on the engine’s cam cover. Porsche-branded Brembo brakes sat behind Porsche Cup alloy wheels and the interior was given a retrim with Recaro seats and white instrumentation. Quattro AWD empowered the RS2 to hit 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds—faster, indeed, than the pure-blooded Porsches of the day.

Fiat and Mazda

New Mazda Miatas don’t come along often, just once a decade since the car’s 1989 debut, in fact. Even though the Miata had just hit the million mark, the Japanese knew they’d need a partner to help fund the fourth generation (interally known as the ND), launched in 2014.

Enter an international marriage between Japan and Italy. At first it appeared that Alfa Romeo was being wooed to build a new Spider, but in the event it was Fiat that accepted Mazda’s offer and so its 124 would be built alongside the Miata in Hiroshima. Mazda stuck with revvy normally-aspirated engines, and styled the car around its sleek Kodo Soul of Motion design language. Fiat opted for a turbocharged motor and a more retro look, ensuring that the siblings had quite different characters.

Dodge and Lamborghini

Lamborghini and the Chrysler group had a six-year attachment after the Americans came to the Italians rescue in 1987. Chrysler money ensured that the Countach got a replacement in the form of the Diablo, but there were strings attached. Chrysler used its exotic partner’s name on ill-conceived concept cars like the Portofino sedan and the Bertone Genesis minivan, but one very good thing did come out of the affair: the Dodge Viper.

Chrysler commissioned Lamborghini to transform an iron-block V-10 truck motor into an engine fit for a sports car. Recast in aluminum, Lamborghini’s eight-liter version produced 400 horsepower, giving the Viper the bite it needed. In fairness, it wasn’t a completely one-sided relationship, as the Diablo was penned by Chrysler’s Tom Gale, who also designed the Viper.

Ford, Volvo, and Aston Martin

Aston Martin couldn’t say no when Ford made a very decent proposal to take over the British brand in 1987. Arguably the most successful offspring of their decade together was actually the result of a throuple with Volvo.

For the 2005 V8 Vantage Aston Martin needed higher-end touchpoints than the Blue Oval had in stock, but the recent addition of the Swedish brand to Ford’s Premium Auto Group meant items such as the key and pop-up infotainment system could be sourced from the now-shared parts catalog. A three-way marriage of convenience, you might say.

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Ford poised for F1 return

Intake: The Blue Oval will once more appear on the flanks of a Formula 1 car. A deal was announced today that will see the Ford badge on Red Bull powertrains, in which Ford will partner on the development of the next-gen hybrid power unit that will supply engines to both Oracle Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri teams from 2026 to at least 2030.

“Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages,” said executive chairman Bill Ford.

Likely the arrangement would be similar to the one Ford made when it first entered the sport by investing £100,000 in Cosworth, and which would fund the most successful F1 engine of all time—the Ford Cosworth DFV. That deal, brokered by Colin Chapman, originally saw the engine only available to Lotus, but it was soon offered to the likes of Matra, Tyrrell, McLaren, Williams and Brabham, who all won World Championships with Ford power. Red Bull Powertrains is, technically, independent from the F1 team so it is conceivable that the Ford badge could once again adorn multiple Grand Prix challengers.

If Andretti succeeds in getting a place on the grid in 2026 with Cadillac, which is when the Ford deal starts, then it will be the first time GM and Ford have gone head to head in F1. F1’s management hailed the announcement: Said FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem, “There are few manufacturers who have such a celebrated motor sport history as Ford, so to see them coming back to the FIA Formula One World Championship is excellent news.”

Exhaust: Ford’s most recent foray into Formula 1 was rather costly. Having bankrolled Stewart Grand Prix in 1996, which rebranded as Jaguar Racing for the 2000 season, the highest position achieved by a Ford-funded car was second place. In 2004 Ford pulled out and the team was sold … to Red Bull. —Nik Berg

McLaren 750S to replace 720S for 2024

Intake: McLaren is expected to replace the 720S with a new model in September, Automotive News reports. Currently known as 750S internally, the new model will use much of the 720S’s underpinnings and its engine will still be a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, but the rumor is that the new car will receive a 30-hp bump to 740 hp. Expect styling to change up front, in line with current McLaren design language. Automotive News also expects aero aids to help bridge the performance gap with the various versions of the 765. We can plan on seeing both coupe and roadster versions debut simultaneously, a change for McLaren, which usually staggers the convertible variant to launch much later than its coupe counterpart.

Exhaust: Despite the fact that much of McLaren’s lineup uses the same carbon-fiber monocoque and V-8 engine architecture, the brand has managed to create models that drive differently. We’re sure that the 720S’s replacement will raise the bar even higher, and the newer models from the brand have been stunning. We’re expecting to like what we see when this car debuts later this year. —NB

An electric Volvo semi delivers its load of oranges, finally

Intake: It took a week when it normally would have taken four days in a diesel truck, but an electric-powered Volvo semi owned by Swiss logistics company Krummen Kerzers picked up 20 tons of oranges and delivered them, then returned to the terminal—a 3000-km trip (1864 miles). Since there is no infrastructure for charging big trucks on the route, driver Balint Schnell had to recharge at car recharging stations, while also having to obey laws regarding the length you can drive without rest, stopping about 20 times total, says Electrek.

Exhaust: That’s the longest trip for a loaded semi on record, but we’re sure Elon Musk has that record in his sights when his electric semis hit the road. But it demonstrates two things: An electric semi can deliver a distant load, and that Balint Schnell is a very patient man. And it kind of raises a chicken-and-egg question: What comes first, the trucks or their charging stations? —Steven Cole Smith

Netflix, GM, and Will Ferrell kick off partnership at Super Bowl

Intake: The Hollywood Reporter says that comedian Will Ferrell will pop in and out of a 60-second Super Bowl commercial driving several GM electric vehicles in clips of shows from its marketing partner, Netflix. He’ll appear in tiny versions of Squid Game, Bridgerton and Queer Eye, and the film Army of the Dead as a preview of the GM electrics’ appearance on those shows, featuring the GMC Hummer EV pickup and Sierra Denali EV, Chevrolet Blazer and Silverado EVs, and Cadillac Lyriq.

Exhaust: The deal is being called a “strategic alliance,” and the tagline for the campaign is, “Let’s give EVs the stage they deserve.” If there was any doubt OEMs are putting enormous dollars into marketing their new EVs, the cost of Super Bowl advertising should put that to rest. —SCS

Tickets on sale for NASCAR’s street race, and they aren’t cheap

Intake: NASCAR goes street racing on the roads of Chicago July 1–2 for the first time in the sanctioning body’s history. General admission tickets will cost $269 for two-day admission, and reserved seats start at $465. Taking a page from Circuit of the America’s concert and race promotions, full-length concerts are included in the price from artists The Chainsmokers, Miranda Lambert, The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett. Some of the reserved seating packages are already sold out, so NASCAR suggests you move quickly.

Exhaust: At least it’s cheaper than the F1 race in Las Vegas, where ticket prices ranged from $500 for 3-day general admission access to $2500 for the most expensive grandstand tickets when they went on sale in November. —SCS

Matchbox celebrates 70 with special diecast

Intake: Matchbox diecast is celebrating its 70th anniversary. In 1953, Jack Odell, an English engineer and vehicle mechanic for the British Army in WWII, disrupted the toy vehicle business by introducing small scale, affordable diecast cars, produced in mass quantities. To commemorate the platinum anniversary, the brand is producing a line of limited-edition vehicles that features special platinum details. A portion of the metallic collection will be made from recycled zinc. More announcements on future 70th-anniversary plans to come later this year, in July 2023.

Exhaust: Between Mattel’s two toy car makers, Matchbox has always been more serious than Hot Wheels, with a commitment to overall realness and detail. (Hot Wheels is more raw speed and emotion.) Given its straitlaced reputation, it’s good to see that the Matchbox brand planned to cut loose for its 70th anniversary. And the promise of future announcements surrounding the milestone has our interest piqued. We’ve seen a wild variety of vehicles in the press photos already—a Porsche 910, a Jaguar D-Type racer, an MGB GT, and a Routemaster bus. What other special editions will grace supermarket pegs? We wait with bated breath. —Cameron Neveu

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Editor’s note: Quotes lightly edited for clarity.

On a hot day outside of Austin, Texas in 2015, two racer-engineers on Cadillac’s V-series engineering team figured it out before most car enthusiasts were even thinking about what it was.

“We sat on the pit wall at Circuit of the Americas,” said Brandon Vivian, Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer. “Tony [Roma, Chief Engineer] and I had just gotten out of lapping the CTS-V and ATS-V, which were just coming out. We said, ‘wow, these cars are really, really good, but there are ways we could put even more soul into them.’ That’s where the Blackwings got their start.”

For the better part of two decades, blistering performance metrics have increasingly passed for progress at the expense of developing cars that stir emotions. Technology enabled this phenomenon—warp-speed 0-60 sprints became the domain of Tesla’s Model S, and recently myriad other electrics. Sports car reviews started crowing as disconnected-feeling electric-assisted power steering replaced traditional hydraulic setups. Brands added all-wheel drive to wrangle immense power. Lap times continued to drop.

In the early 2000s, General Motors was deep in this numbers game. Cadillac in particular felt it had some things to prove: that the days of the DeVille were dead, and that the brand could battle it out with German powerhouses like BMW M and Mercedes’ AMG. The mid-size Cadillac CTS-V sedan hit the scene for 2004 with a Corvette Z06-sourced V-8, 400 hp, a six-speed manual gearbox, and Brembo brakes. It wasn’t long before cars with the V badge became known as capable on track and fearsome on the street. Still, they often lacked a certain level of driver engagement—it—that drove enthusiasts to worship at the altar of ’90s and early-aughts BMW M cars.

Cadillac didn’t give up, despite having accomplished its mission by any performance metric. That day on the pit wall at COTA, Vivian and Roma decided to really chase the intangible.

The result is a pair of cars with undeniable “soul,”— apex-performance sedans known as the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. Successors to the ATS-V and CTS-V, these luxury sedans are joyous homages to driver engagement. With Cadillac soon going fully electric, the duo is a fitting celebratory sendoff to a golden age of internal-combustion performance.

Praise for the Blackwing siblings has been near-unanimous. It’s no wonder why: The 4-V Blackwing’s knife-edge precision and eager chassis are apparent at any speed, and help you dance confidently on the limit when you find it. The 5-V Blackwing raucously asserts its presence with a uniquely American blend of dare-you-to-misbehave brawn and surprisingly deft reflexes. Both cars come with heavy helpings of luxury, technology, and comfort.

Driving the Blackwings only amplified my curiosity about how they came to be. Set aside the layers of increasingly demanding safety and environmental regulations, not to mention the challenges inherent in convincing corporate types to unleash two thundering luxury sedans on the public; creating a good sports car is tough. Two excellent ones? At the same time? Excruciatingly so.

To find out what it took, I went to GM’s Proving Grounds in Milford, Michigan. Vivian overdelivered on his promise to share the full story. He trotted out his whole team of lead engineers—gearheads, racers, and irreverent personalities, all. Not shy about sharing candid perspectives or correcting my preconceptions, they explained in detail the process and philosophy that shaped the Blackwing cars. As our conversation unfolded, it became apparent how their passion guides Cadillac performance, now and into the future.

A certain character

“To start, you need to grab the right people for the effort,” said Roma. “Some teams over the years have had one person that drives the car and tunes it. We don’t have that philosophy. Everybody drives the car. You want a car that appeals to a lot of different styles—that results in cars that we like.” Roma, a multi-time SCCA Runoffs podium finisher, fosters the tone among a group of people who know how to eke the most from a given task. As he would with a car on track, he guided the conversation, sometimes with a humorous flick of wit, others via more assertive, direct input.

“And frankly these were the first cars, I’ll say it out loud, that we didn’t really focus as much on lap time,” said Roma. “We said, look, we’re gonna focus more on the elements that make these cars we want to own, cars we want to drive. Cars with a certain character.”

“They still hurt some feelings at the track,” interjected a smiling Mirza Grebovic, the gregarious Engineering Group Manager for both Blackwing cars.

“It’s funny, before this interview, I found the presentation where Brandon said, ‘go write the article,’” said Grebovic. At the beginning of 4-V and 5-V Blackwing development, Vivian asked his engineers to be journalists for a day. “So we wrote articles that imagined how you guys would cover these two cars in after their debut. When you read them now, everything we’re talking about here has that same focus.”

“That’s part of our process,” added Vivian. “It’s not who you’re gonna put on the trailer, but how you’re gonna do it.”

Vivian talks like a shoe because he is one, sharing those same SCCA Runoffs podiums with Roma. The trailer colloquialism is racing shorthand for “how you’ll vanquish your opponents.”

Three horsepower

Eckart: Did you know from the outset that the Blackwings would be the final Cadillac internal-combustion performance sedans? Did that change your approach?

Roma: “I’m not sure we would’ve done anything differently. We may not have known it initially, but look, the writing was on the wall of where the whole industry was going, and even five years ago we knew it.”

Vivian: “It was probably easier for people to spend personal time working on these cars once they knew it was the end. It was a more subconscious commitment.”

Grebovic: “It changed the team’s attitude. Like Tony [Roma] said, in the beginning we wanted to make an awesome car, we wanted to make everything perfect. But once we realized that these were the last ones, I think the passion aspect took us to a different level on resolving issues and conflicts to where I don’t think we compromised on anything.

“The intakes, for example: We had to design them to drive in a rainstorm and keep the water out without choking engine performance. We fought for numbers that colleagues thought were comical.”

Roma: (chuckling) “One engineer came in and said airflow results showed that particular setup cost three horsepower.”

Grebovic: “We all went nuts. Three horsepower! No way, we’re not giving that away.”

Vivian: “I almost jumped out of my chair.”

Roma: “The engineer is looking at us sideways. ‘It’s only three horsepower, guys,’ he said. ‘You already make over six hundred!’”

Vivian: “We gave him a polite, ‘Wrong answer. Go back and find those three horsepower.’”

It’s the little all the things

Another Blackwing non-negotiable: the option to drive with three pedals.

Vivian: “When you look at the marketplace, most other manufacturers were getting out of manuals. Early on, Tony and I laid on the tracks for manual transmissions. We absolutely knew they were necessary to give these cars the character we wanted.”

Sweating the small stuff is one thing, but Vivian’s team sweat all the stuff. This interview’s 50-page transcript brimmed with examples of the Blackwing team fighting to tune these cars just so. From dive planes to exhaust outlets, no element was above scrutiny.

Vivian: “It’s about all those little increments that have to earn placement on the car, have to be part of the total package. We decided to put the dive planes on the car because we were making incredible amounts of rear downforce, but the front of the car just would not grip. We didn’t have the right pitch moment in the car.

We mocked them up, and once the car performed, then we went back and started the iterative process from there. In a production vehicle, we don’t want the car to feel different at 70 mph than it does at 120. That’s trying to get the balance correct, getting it to where the car would be super approachable at every track.”

Grebovic: “I remember working to ship dive planes to Spring Mountain (the circuit in Nevada where Cadillac performs testing). We literally ran into a FedEx store at 11:00 p.m. saying ‘let’s just overnight this, get it down there, and get it tested.'”

Chris Mikalauskas, Lead Exterior Designer: “Those dive planes saw more than 50 iterations in two and a half weeks.”

Grebovic: “Two and a half weeks! We would all do our normal jobs, and then at 6:00 p.m. we had a meeting every day just to crank out the dive planes. But it worked out awesome.”

Blaine Heavener, Global Vehicle Performance Manager: “Speaking of iteration, with the number of exhaust systems tested previously for the CT6 sedan, we could probably lay them out on the pavement and spell ‘Blackwing.'”

Sim Gill, Lead Noise & Vibration Engineer: “Mm-hmm. 63.”

Heavener: “As we sought to create that same type of exhaust character for the Blackwing cars, we affectionately named them along the way.”

Gill: “Because there were so many iterations, it was really difficult to keep track of them. ‘R0023’ meant nothing to anybody. So I named all of my development parts. Scarface in the CT4-V Blackwing and Phoenix in the CT5-V Blackwing were the ones that made the cut. I think everyone laughed a little bit at the start, but Brandon [Vivian] started to play along with me and it caught on.

Heavener: “Bigfoot versus 8-hole …”

Gill: “Ha! I remember Bigfoot. We had Littlefoot too—the names reminded you of what was in the tuning. For me, when I hear Littlefoot, I remember that was the smaller, quieter, tuned-down version for the CT4.

For Scarface, I remember we were getting low on development parts. The exhaust was cut open and closed so many different times that ‘Scarface’ was the perfect name for it. We were getting so close; we wouldn’t stop till it was right.

Phoenix got its name because it rose from the ashes of a complete disaster: We had been working on it for quite some time, but it sounded like every other V-8. We put in all this work to differentiate the CT5 and allow it to scream ‘Cadillac,’ but the sound was a letdown. So that exhaust was completely torn apart and redone—we took a totally different approach. After that, Brandon heard it once and that was it.”

Heavener: “As an OEM, we have to respect legal limits for sound. I remember us down there, discussing Scarface’s traits, and whether the noise during the fuel-cut upshifts was acceptable. They sounded like a .22 going off on the one-two upshift, but we decided, ‘it’s staying.'”

Gill: “There was a pretty delicate balance between the hardware and the calibration that we had to manage to make ’em legal. At the start, Mirza [Grebovic] got involved as we were trying to determine the vision. Mirza’s exact words were, ‘I want it to scare small children.’”

Grebovic: (laughing) “Yeah!”

Gill: “I swear the best phone call I ever got was one night that Mirza took a Scarface vehicle home. He said, ‘my kids cried when I started it in the garage.’”

Vivian: “I think you messaged the group chat: ‘Mission accomplished.’”

Teamwork makes the dream work

Eckart: Now that the Blackwing chapter is over, and you’ve moved on to what’s next, how does the project look in the rear-view?

Heavener: “I still pinch myself every day to have worked on them.”

Gill: “These cars have my literal blood, sweat and tears in ’em.”

Grebovic: “My CT4-V Blackwing isn’t just a cool car. Knowing all the people involved, the meetings we went through, the decision making, all that makes driving it so joyful. Like Blaine [Heavener] said, you pinch yourself knowing that we worked on it. Every time I get into my car, it’s an emotional connection with the machine.”

Mikalauskas: “It’s proof to me that emotions matter when you’re creating cars. I don’t think that’s ever going away. Performance and what we do here isn’t going to magically disappear. It’s really important to look at the Blackwings as an example of the visceral components that are coming.”

Grebovic: “Yeah, we don’t want to lose that. We’ve spent so much to make it happen. And guess who gets to make an impact in the future? We do.”

Eckart: Are we going to see focus on driver engagement in electric Cadillacs?

Vivian: “Our approach isn’t going to change. The passion, the DNA is going to be there, but the level of performance will change just as technology evolves over time. Think about how capable cars were in the Seventies for track days and racing, and then Nineties, then the 2000s; then think about what these Blackwings can do. Race cars from the Nineties aren’t this good.”

Roma: (with a dry smile) “I would’ve just said, ‘yes.’”

Grebovic: We really dialed in the Blackwings, so we have to ask ourselves, ‘what would we do afterward?’ I was probably the biggest anti-EV person for a long time because I was so passionate about the cars we were working on. But now, seeing the opportunities EVs bring and all the knowledge that we have as a team, we can do so much that we couldn’t do before.”

Roma: “We’re trying to make great vehicles, and in the future they are going be propelled by electricity. Philosophically, that is where we’re going. The Blackwings are reflections of our personality, the kind of vehicles that we want for the future. Cadillac has aspirations to be a luxury EV brand, and performance luxury vehicles are required to be relevant. We want to get rid of the ‘driver’s EV’ qualifier; we’re going to make great driver’s cars that happen to be electric.

Most of us have been blessed to work on a lot of really cool products. These Blackwings are on that list, and they’re a little extra special—they are the last of a breed. I haven’t really spent any time to stop and reflect on it because we don’t really do that—we’re on to the next. It was a step on a journey. The Blackwings were the end of a chapter, maybe, but not the whole story.”

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Another ’70s Cadillac? You betcha, as they say in Fargo. What can I say, I love these cars. Always have. I think it started when my parents started buying me Pocket Cars when I was two or three. Amongst the BMWs and Fiat X1/9s and Porsche 928s were a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, Cadillac ambulance, and Lincoln Continental Mark IV.

The Mark and the Fleetwood were two of my favorites, and my mom will attest that I carried them almost everywhere, along with a Matchbox Mercury Cougar Villager station wagon with an opening tailgate. I carried them to church, in the car, to the grocery store. They were always in my mitts. To the detriment of my own personal well being.

I didn’t remember this, but Mom told me one time I was running down the short flight of four or five steps from our back yard to the path to our garage, slipped, went down, and scraped up both my hands. Because I didn’t want the Caddy and Lincoln scratched, I didn’t drop them when I fell, to the detriment of my hands.

But the cars were OK!

Ever since, I’ve just loved the domestic luxury cruisers from the 1970s. Sure, they had their faults. Strangled engines, cheap plastic here and there, arguably chintzy décor in some cases. But for all that, I still love ’em.

Which brings us to the near-present. It was May 31, 2015. A Sunday. Bright, sunny, and pleasant, as most days in late May are. I ‘d seen on our local car show event website that there was an event in Sterling, Illinois, about an hour away via Scenic Interstate 88.

There were a lot of interesting cars there. A good turnout—a 1959 Thunderbird, ’77 Plymouth Volare Road Runner, and a Bradley, a rare fiberglass sportster from the late ’50s and early ’60s. But if you’ve read enough of my stuff (or simply this column), you’ll know which cars caused my eyes to bug out and my Brougham radar to chime “Awooga, awooga, awooga!”

Yes, a 1974 Cadillac Eldorado convertible in aforementioned Cranberry Firemist with white Sierra grain leather and matching cranberry dash and carpeting. This was the one and only drop-top American luxury car in the Year of Our Lord 1974, the Continental convertible disappearing after 1967 and the Imperial Crown convertible after model year ’68.

But, of course, as a luxury conveyance, it was not cheap. The ’74 Eldorado convertible retailed for $9437 (about $56,000 today) before options. Each one weighed in at an impressive 5019 pounds; 7600 were built. As a Cadillac, much was standard (leather was standard on the Eldo convertible but optional on all other Cadillacs), but available extras included Trackmaster skid control ($214), a theft deterrant system ($80), and Automatic Climate Control ($523). A newly available option was front-seat airbags, which GM termed the Air Cushion Restraint System, for $225. Although it was available on most 1974 Cadillacs, you could not get it on the Eldorado convertible or the Series 75 limousines.

As the 1974 Cadillac brochure (of course I have a copy) extolled, “This one stands alone. As an Eldorado, it has the maneuverability of front-wheel drive, variable-ratio power steering and Automatic Level Control—coupled with that exclusive Eldorado engine, quieter and more responsive than ever.

“As a convertible, it is a car unique unto itself … starting with the fact that it is the only luxury convertible built in the land … From its new superfine grille to its beautifully beveled rear deck, this is a unique driving experience.”

And it’s so pretty! I just loved the colors on this one. Say what you will about modern luxury cars. I’ll freely admit they are safer, more efficient, and with more whiz-bang modern gadgets than any ’70s land cruiser could hope for. But …

These are just so pretty! And I miss when one could decide if they wanted a coupe, convertible, pillared sedan, or hardtop sedan. And there was such a variety of colors. While it was an era I just barely missed, I go back in time whenever I spot a fine relic like this … or dive into my vintage car brochures!

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Earliest-known C2 Corvette heads to Kissimmee

Intake: Corvettes and Kissimmee go together like chicken wings and hot sauce, but this year, there’s extra buzz around one ride in particular. A 1963 Corvette Convertible with the VIN 30867S100003 will cross the block at Mecum’s big sale on Saturday, January 14. It’s the earliest-known second-generation Corvette in existence. Bought by Brian Richardson and his twin brother, Bruce, in 1976 for the sum of $1500, the car was not running when they acquired it. Over the ensuing years, Brian and Bruce completed a frame-off restoration of the car, returning it to its original Riverside Red exterior paint and reverting the interior to red as well. The car carries a presale estimate of $600,000–$800,000, but because of its historical significance to the lore of America’s Sports Car, there’s no telling what heights it may reach come auction time.

Exhaust: Hagerty gained exclusive access to the car and its backstory earlier this year, detailing the lives of Brian and Bruce—both as interesting as the car itself. Brian, who tragically suffered a fatal heart attack earlier this year, was an Olympic Bobsledder at the Albertville, France games in 1992. Both brothers became mechanical engineers and hold more than 100 patented inventions between them. Come January 14, we’ll be watching this one closely. — Nathan Petroelje

2023 COPO Camaro available with 632 big-block V-8

Intake: Chevrolet has added the monstrous, 632-cubic-inch big-block V-8 to the list of available engines for the limited-production, dragstrip-only 2023 COPO Camaro. The naturally aspirated 427 and supercharged 350 V-8s that are optional in the COPO are both based on the LT engine architecture, while the 632 will replace the 572 big-block that was available in the 2022 COPO. Chevrolet is now taking orders if you’d like to enter the dog fight that is Super Stock.

Exhaust: The NHRA had rated the 572 big-block COPO at 500 hp, the 427 was at 470 hp, and the supercharged 350 earned a 600 hp rating. So far, there’s no power rating yet for the 632, although there’s no reason to think it won’t close the gap on the successful 350. In case you’d forgotten, Chevrolet rates its 632 crate engine at 1,004 horsepower and 876 lb-ft of torque. The NHRA’s ratings are made to level the playing field among Super Stock competitors and are used with the vehicle’s weight to determine the class in which the vehicle will compete. Drag racers are an ingenious lot and can, naturally, coax far more power out of their mills than the rating would suggest. — Brandan Gillogly

Watch the mad McMurtry Spierling hit 60 mph in 1.4 seconds

Intake: It shattered the Goodwood Hill Climb record in the summer, and now this extreme electric vehicle has claimed the fastest ever 1/4 mile run as well. As part of his review for “CarWow” Mat Watson was strapped in for the ride of his life. After an initial rapid run which had him howling with a combination of fear and pure joy, Watson was told by IndyCar ace and McMurtry test driver Max Chilton that he was running with only 650 of 1000 available horses. Given an all the available amps Watson accelerated from 0-60 mph in 1.4 seconds and completed the quarter mile in 7.97 seconds. The car was geared for Goodwood so it could potentially go faster still. We’ve cued the video to the acceleration runs, but there’s a full review there as well.

Exhaust: The sensational Spierling gets incredible traction, despite putting its 1000 hp through the rear wheels only. That’s largely down to the electric fans that literally suck the car to the ground, delivering over 4000 pounds of downforce—a system also deployed on the Gordon Murray T.50. The Spierling also packs a 60 kWh battery that gives a potential range of 300 miles on the road. On track it’s said to match a GT4 class race car for lap time, but would need charging after 20 minutes at full tilt. When it reaches production expect the price to be at least $1.2 million. Rimac has some serious opposition. — Nik Berg

Range Rover Classic gets electrified by Everrati

Intake: Two more off-road icons have been given EV conversions by the U.K.’s Everrati. Having previously electrified the Series IIA Land Rover the firm is now offering adaptions for the Ranger Rover Classic and the Land Rover Defender. The technical details have yet to be revealed, although the conversion is based on the firm’s first Landies. “Everrati will stay true to the timeless quality of the vehicle yet provide a powertrain upgrade that will exceed the performance specifications of the original,” it says. Buyers will need to provide a donor vehicle and pay $280,000 to convert a Range Rover or $182,000 for a Defender, plus taxes. “Perfectly at home in London, Cornwall, Monterey or The Hamptons, these vehicles are right in the current zeitgeist; rolling pieces of art that will give their owners, who are mavens of sustainability and responsibility, a clean and distinctive and luxurious way of travelling,” adds Founder Justin Lunny. “At the same time these progressive machines will have a legacy, being preserved for generations who will be able to continue to use and enjoy them guilt-free, with zero emissions, as the automotive landscape changes around them.”

Exhaust: The Everrati cars we’ve previously tried have been beautifully-built statement vehicles for a particular type of buyer, and these iconic 4x4s will follow the same path. Think of them as “rolling pieces of art” like Lunny wants you to and perhaps you won’t miss their V-8 engines (or, more likely, dirty diesels) quite so much. — NB

Another price hike on base Ford Lightning

Intake: On the heels of an announcement that Ford is adding a third shift to the Lightning assembly line in Dearborn, Michigan, comes word of a price hike, and it isn’t the first. Ford has upped the hot-selling Lightning’s base price to $55,974, according to its online model configurator. That is for the entry-level Pro model; the XLT starts at $63,474, the Lariat at $74,474 and the Platinum at $96,874. Destination charge is $1895, plus a $645 Ford Credit “acquisition fee.” This price increase on the Pro, which is standard with the smaller battery pack, may scare off some fleet customers. The base price has increased about $16,000 since the truck’s launch; in October, the base price was increased to $52,000, without destination charge. With all the charges, the sticker on our configured base Pro is $58,514. And that’s if your local dealer is selling Lightnings for list price, which, we hear, might be very unusual. Higher priced models of the Lightning aren’t affected by the price increase — yet.

Exhaust: It’s hard to be too angry at Ford for exploiting the ultra-popular Lightning, which it got right from the word go. The original base price at launch seemed too low, and apparently it was. We would not be surprised if we see some additional price increases before the end of the 2023 model year. — Steven Cole Smith

Reuters: Suppliers to Kia, Hyundai violate Alabama child labor law

Intake: A troubling story from Reuters starts like this: “At least four major suppliers of Hyundai Motor Co. and sister Kia Corp. have employed child labor at Alabama factories in recent years, a Reuters investigation found, and state and federal agencies are probing whether kids have worked at as many as a half dozen additional manufacturers throughout the automakers’ supply chain in the southern U.S. state.” The two OEMs deny that they knew anything about their suppliers using child labor. Hyundai, in a statement, told Reuters it “does not condone or tolerate violations of labor law” and requires that “our suppliers and business partners strictly adhere to the law.” Kia issued a similar statement.

Exhaust: Reuters said its reporters “spent weeks around auto parts factories in rural Alabama” and reviewed “thousands of pages of court records, corporate documents, police reports and other records.” “It’s shocking,” David Weil, a former administrator of the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor Department, told Reuters. “The ages involved, the danger of what they are being employed to do, it’s a clear violation.” — SCS 

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Like a rock

I’m six years old again. I’m in my grandma Squeak’s living room, playing with Hot Wheels on drab brown carpeting.

I was as strong as I could be

In the kitchen, Grandma is making some sheet-pan cookie concoction. An early 1980s TV set hums before me. Onscreen, a tableau of concentrated, unfiltered Americana flashes by.

Like a rock

The people onscreen congregate and toil around some boxy Chevrolet trucks. A contractor shows some architectural plans to two other folks with the documents unfurled over the truck’s slab-like hood.

Nothin’ ever got to me

A blue shortbed crashes through slime and mud. A rodeo cowboy jumps in his crew cab to escape a charging bull. A towhook snaps taut, erecting the structural framing of a barn. I’m transfixed.

Like a rock!

I think a sizeable portion of the millennial and Gen-X population has some memory sequence parallel to mine. All you’ve gotta do is queue up Bob Seger’s gravelly, rawhide anthem to trigger a thousand-yard stare. Chevy’s tremendously successful “Like a Rock” campaign that ran from 1991 through the early 2000s sold a lot of trucks. Judging by Hagerty Price Guide values, it continues to do so today.

General Motors’ full-sized trucks and SUVs produced between 1988 and 2000 (2002, if you count the HD family) have long existed in a liminal space in collecting. The GMT400 trucks, as they’re collectively known, were positioned as direct evolutions of the ultra-popular Square Body Chevy C10 and GMC Sierra, and they exited the scene just as full-size SUVs were beginning to take over every school carpool line. Now, surging interest and values in these trucks has us humming one of Mr. Seger’s biggest hits as we investigate what might behind this gradual rise to collectibility.

In the past three years, values of Chevy GMT400-series trucks have increased by 63 percent. No coincidence, calls to Hagerty agents for quotes on insurance for the trucks have increased 58 percent in the same period. For GMT400 GMC trucks, values are up 52 percent, with 53 percent growth in insurance quotes.

It’s no surprise the Chevys bring more money than the GMCs, even if they are the same under the skin (and even the skin ain’t that different). Enthusiasts naturally prefer certain body styles, as well. For instance, the latest Hagerty Price Guide pegs a 1988 Chevy K1500 4×4 two-door fleetside short-bed pickup at $15,600 in Good (#3) condition. That’s nearly 80 percent more than three years ago. And perhaps because so many of these trucks lived exceptionally hard lives, collectors are paying a hefty premium for the finest examples. Find an Excellent (#2) ’96 short-bed with a 255-hp small-block V-8, and you can expect to shell out more than $35,000.

If you’re thinking that sounds like a lot of coin for a mass-produced truck churned out more than a quarter of a century ago, we’re with you. But the rise is not without precedent.

First, remember that the long-lived Square Body generation of trucks appreciated early among insurgent truck values. Caveman simplicity, stout dimensions, testosterone styling, and a cavernous engine bay transformed these vehicular cudgels into street rods, backwoods 4×4 brawlers, cherry boulevard cruisers, weatherworn workhorses, and everything in between. People love these bricks because they’re brutish and simple.

It’s 1988, and here comes the GMT400. Computer-aided design took on a larger role than it ever had before in the design and production of the new truck. Still ludicrously boxy by today’s standards, this generation previewed the slow trudge toward today’s curvaceousness, with semi-rounded edges, flush fittings, and sedan-style doors.

The biggest changes hid underneath the new sheetmetal. Four-wheel-drive K-series trucks packed a new independent torsion-bar suspension, and ABS made its first appearance on GM trucks. Compared to the relatively floppy and rust-prone Square Body, the new GMT400 platform incorporated extra galvanized steel and a fully welded frame featuring a boxed front section for extra rigidity.

Powertrain options are stout, too. The base engine is a 4.3-liter Vortec V-6 with enough torque to serve as basic work truck and transportation. Most of the more expensive GMT400s come to market with one of the V-8s, whose displacements started at 5.0 liters and spiked to a mighty 8.1 for the HD haulers.

All this relative modernity, while still remaining rugged, the semi-simplistic mechanicals, and the masculine design—in the long run, the combination proved to be the best of both worlds. Hagerty Price Guide editor Greg Ingold has owned three GMT400 trucks over the years, and he’ll be the first to sing their praises.

“I appreciate how GM refined the idea of the truck,” he says. “They made them nicer to drive compared to the Square Bodies. They’re nothing like the near-luxury trucks of today, but they’re not too utilitarian.

“The GMT400 is sort of that goldilocks truck. GM got it just right, and the people who own them seem to appreciate them for that reason.”

By and large, the GMT400 was considered just an old, used truck for the better part of 25 years, and the values reflected this. But, for those of a certain age, the love never faded.

There’s a lot to love. Between no-frills, never-gonna-break work trucks and the stylish, high-performance 454 SS, the GMT400 fills quite a few niches. (The 1990–1993 1500 454 SS is the most valuable of GMT400s, with Condition #2 values creeping close to fifty grand.) When they do break down, parts supply is absurdly comprehensive and you can fix them with basic tools. Just ask Hagerty editor-at-large Sam Smith how simple and lovely his old 1500 Cheyenne was.

It gets better. The GMT400’s blend of modernity and old-world aesthetic attracted customizers and hot-rodders like Carlisle does Corvettes. The “Sport Truck” subgenre of hot-rodding erupted while the truck was new, with big names like Boyd Coddington and Belltech creating “static dropped” customs with neon paint and vibrant graphics.

And, like so many “vintage” trucks, this one seems to appeal to a broad swathe of collectors. Plenty of millennials and Gen-Xers are showing interest, but one in every three people calling us about these trusty trucks is a baby boomer.

That wide interest, along with the stunning appreciation we’ve seen for trucks and SUVs of all stripes, leads us to believe that the rise of GMT400s is no fad.

And now, since you’ve made it this far, we’ll give you some TV time:

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GM may build a smaller Hummer truck

Intake: According to Bloomberg, General Motors may build a smaller electric Hummer pickup, down a size from the massive, $110,000 Hummer truck that has been on the market, with great success, since 2021. “A smaller, electric Hummer is still a design concept in GM’s California studio, but has a good chance of going into production and is seen as a priority project, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. GM already builds the large electric Hummer pickup and will begin building a full-size SUV early next year,” Bloomberg said.

Exhaust: It makes sense, following the original Hummer strategy that had Hummer sell the military-style H1, then the smaller H2, and the still-smaller H3. The smaller electric truck would certainly help GM if it decides to take the brand to Europe, Bloomberg noted. —Steven Cole Smith

Lotus Emira and Evija get the Hot Wheels treatment

Intake: You can now buy the last gas-powered Lotus and the British firm’s first electric car in Hot Wheels form. The Emira comes in Seneca Blue with the Evija being delivered in a two-tone British Racing Green and Lotus trademark yellow. As Hot Wheels Collectibles they won’t be in unlimited supply, but according to the Hot Wheel Wiki there’ll be a second release of an Atomic red Evija in 2034 if you do miss out.

Exhaust: The Emira has experienced production delays so the 1:64 scale model might be the only version customers can get their hands on for some time. Meanwhile, just 130 examples of the $2 million Evija electric hypercar will be sold, so zooming the Hot Wheels version along the ground will be most people’s only chance of getting their hands on one. —Nik Berg

Brits add a supercharger for a faster Miata

Intake: Brodie Britain Racing has been tuning Mazda Miatas since the day they first landed. The British firm, based in the heart of “Motorsport Valley” has fettled every generation of the world’s most popular roadster, and its latest effort adds a supercharger to the 2015-2019 ND. The Rotrex charger and EcuTek engine remap combine to deliver 222 hp and a chunky 200 lb-ft of torque, cutting the car’s 0-60 mph down by two seconds to 5.3 seconds. That’s Stage One. Opt for Stage Two with a TIG-welded stainless steel high-flow exhaust and a Forge Motorsport intercooler and you’ll get 247 hp and shave another couple of tenths off the acceleration run. Prices are from $5415, and kits for later models are currently under development.

Exhaust: If it’s ultimate power you’re after then BBR’s Stage One turbo kit actually has a little more to offer, with 251 hp. It’s also a tad quicker to 60 mph, but the tractability of the supercharger probably make it the better real-world performer. If you want to go even further then you’ll be better off staying Stateside and shoehorning in a V-8. —NB

New Jersey Assembly takes a stab at in-vehicle subscriptions

Intake: A short, 705-word bill introduced in the lower house of New Jersey’s state legislature is picking up on a global debate: Should automakers be allowed to charge customers subscription fees for certain vehicle options? The most notorious example in recent history concerned heated seats. The automaker in question was BMW, who implemented an “on demand” subscription approach in South Korea for things like a heated steering wheel, automatic high beam headlights, maps, and music partnerships. Though this “micro transaction” subscription approach was aimed at the South Korean market, Americans were outraged. (So much that BMW published a statement to clarify that it would never revoke or block access to options—like heated seats—ordered on a new, U.S.-market car.) As of September 22, 2022, two New Jersey assemblymen sketched out a solution: Bill no. 4519, if signed into law, would forbid vehicle manufacturers to charge a recurring payment for a feature that “utilizes components and hardware already installed on the motor vehicle at the time of purchase of lease.” It does provide an exception if the dealer, manufacturer, or third party can prove that the feature requires ongoing expense on its part. Fines would range between $10,000 and $20,000. As of September 22, #4519 was introduced and referred to the New Jersey Assembly’s consumer affairs committee.

Exhaust: If you’re on the warpath against subscription-style vehicle services, don’t pop the champagne. This bill would apply only to New Jersey—and, as of this writing, it’s a long way from becoming law. One note: This bill’s phraseology would not forbid manufacturers of EVs from charging a one-time fee to digitally “unlock” additional output from the battery. —Grace Houghton

BMW to invest $1.7 billion in domestic electric vehicles

Intake: On Wednesday, BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse announced that the company will invest $1.7 billion in American EV manufacturing, with $1 billion going to BMW’s factory in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and the remaining $700 million to build a battery assembly plant in Woodruff, South Carolina. “For decades, Plant Spartanburg has been a cornerstone of the global success of the BMW Group. It is he home of the BMW X models that are so popular all over the world. Going forward, it will also be a major driver for our electrification strategy, and we will produce at least six fully electric BMW X models here by 2030. That means: The ‘Home of the X’ is also becoming the ‘Home of the Battery Electric Vehicle’,” said Zipse.” Plant Spartanburg currently produces 11 models including the BMW X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles, four BMW M models and two plug-in hybrid electric models.  Production of the all-new hybrid-electric BMW XM will begin later this year.

Exhaust: Interesting, though, that Zipse told Reuters in an interview Wednesday that manufacturers or governments shouldn’t force a final date for selling ICE vehicles on the public, warning that “setting a date to phase out gas-powered vehicles could remove ‘cheap cars’ from the market, putting ownership out of reach for many,” Reuters said. “We don’t want cars to be taken away out of the base segment, politically that’s super dangerous,” said Zipse. “If you all of a sudden make car ownership only for rich people, it’s a dangerous thing.” So despite the massive investment in EVs, it sounds like gas vehicles will be a part of BMW’s portfolio for some time. —SCS

Ford announces a driveshaft fix for the Bronco

Intake: Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 22B27 is welcome news to owners of Ford Broncos that were built between September 23, 2020, and September 17, 2021. The problem is the driveshaft boot can crack and allow grease to leak out and dirt to seep in, thus causing “unwanted noise and vibration” while driving. Ford is replacing the front driveshaft for all the affected vehicles.

Exhaust: There’s no denying the new Bronco is a hit, but there’s no denying that it has suffered more than its share of teething problems. Ford is only offering the free driveshaft fix through October 12, 2023, so it’s a good idea not to wait until the last minute to schedule your repair. Replacing the driveshaft should take about an hour, Ford says. —SCS

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VW ID. Buzz gets first camper conversion

Intake: Volkswagen #vanlife has been electrified. Mere months after the ID. Buzz was unveiled German firm Ququq has released a plug-and-play camper conversion that costs less than $3,000. The BusBox-4 slots into the rear cargo area and features a slide-out camp kitchen, and a lofted bed for two. There’s room for freshwater storage and a coolbox as well. The box weighs less than 150 pounds so shouldn’t impact the range of the ID. Buzz too much. In fact to prove its practicality the company has already covered almost 22,000 miles on a road trip through 20 different European countries.

Exhaust: This is a neat and cheap solution for those who can’t wait to explore the outdoors in their new ID. Buzzes, but realistically it’s more suited for quick getaways than grand adventures. Expect many more conversions to follow, with pop-tops, awnings and sleeping for the whole family. —NB

Kia shows second-generation Niro

Intake: Kia’s versatile second-generation Niro SUV plug-in hybrid goes on sale this fall with slightly larger dimensions and a roomier cabin, but despise its beefier size, has a 25-percent greater all-electric range of 33 miles. It’s powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine coupled with a 62 kW electric motor, giving the Niro Plug-in Hybrid a combined 180 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft of torque. Power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed dual clutch transmission. When connected to a Level 2 charger, the Niro PHEV can refill its 11.1-kWh lithium-ion polymer battery in under three hours. It’s priced at $33,740, excluding a $1,295 destination charge.

Exhaust: Stronger, lighter and more powerful for 2023, the Kia Niro plug-in hybrid is a nice starter car for customers moving gingerly away from ICE vehicles — it’s a hybrid, but it also offers 33 miles of all-electric driving, which is more than the average American drives in a day. Kia hasn’t announced pricing on the all-electric Niro model for 2023, but Automotive News claims the regular Niro hybrid will be priced at $27,785, including destination, an increase of $1800 over 2022. —Steven Cole Smith

BMW partners with AirConsole to bring gaming inside the cockpit

Intake: “Collection of single- and multiplayer games to make every waiting situation in the vehicle an entertaining experience,” says the press release, which kind of sums it up. AirConsole is a gaming platform which fits the BMW Curved Display and offers a “large and diverse catalogue of games.” The games run directly inside the vehicle entertainment system. The AirConsole technology enables games to be instantly delivered over-the-air, and you can control them using smartphones. “This will make every waiting situation inside the vehicle, such as charging, an enjoyable moment,” said Stephan Durach, senior vice president, BMW Group Connected Company Development. Scan a QR code in the vehicle, and you’re hooked up. The games play only if the car is in Park.

Exhaust: Games on the AirConsole roster include “Real Estate Challenge,” “ClusterPuck Challenge” and “Zombie Annihilation.” Oddly missing is “Pong” and “Super Mario.” AirConsole will roll out first on the 7 Series, then trickle down to the other 2023 models. —SCS

GM’s new business unit wants to transform your Ultium EV

Intake: General Motors unveiled a new business unit yesterday, called GM Energy. The new business unit will provide customers with “energy management services” that will enable you to interact with your Ultium-powered EV, your home, and the broader energy grid to help improve your electric experience. GM Energy will offer solutions like bi-directional charging, vehicle-to-home (V2H), and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) applications. If your EV is topped off at night, the new solutions will allow your EV to charge your home, or even sell power back to the grid if you have a surplus at any given time. If your area experiences a power outage, your Silverado EV will one day be able to keep the lights on at home. GM says it already has several large-scale companies such as SunPower, a solar technology firm, signed on to help develop home battery, solar panel, and energy systems.

Exhaust: The American power grid has been a hot topic of discussion as electric vehicles continue to grow in popularity and severe weather events, such as Hurricane Ian, become more frequent. We’ve all seen the stories of Ford’s F-150 Lightning powering homes during power outages, and GM isn’t about to let Ford have all the fun. A business unit offering integrated, easy-to-use solutions that help mitigate the effects of power interruptions sure seems like a solid pursuit in our eyes. Earning a few extra bucks by selling extra power back to the grid doesn’t seem so bad either. As EVs continue to shift the role that vehicles play in our lives, expect to see these sorts of expanded business units pop up with greater frequency at the hands of automakers. —Nathan Petroelje

Jeep Avenger to debut at the Paris Auto Show

Intake: The good news: The cute little Jeep Avenger, the brand’s first battery electric vehicle, will debut at a press conference at the Paris Auto Show on Monday. The bad news: That’s about as close as we’ll get to it. The Avenger’s stand “will display an energetic, vibrant, and visually dynamic look featuring a rock crawling display, to provide the right staging for the media and public reveal of the Jeep Avenger.  The all-electric Jeep Avenger will offer Jeep brand capability that is rightsized for the European market delivering a targeted electric range of 400 kilometers (249 miles), combined with modern and technologically advanced interior, with plenty of space for people and cargo.”  The Jeep Avenger is a “milestone for our growth plans in key European markets, such as France, and on our path to becoming the leading zero-emission SUV brand in the world.”

Exhaust: Jeep is serious about this electric business. In countries such as Germany and France, the Jeep brand offers only electrified SUVs and by the end of the year in almost all of the major markets in Continental Europe will offer only electrified SUVs. “As a result of this product onslaught, all the Jeep vehicles on sale in the region will be 100 percent electric by 2030.” —SCS

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Last call (really) for a special-edition Ford GT

Intake: It may seem a little late, since the Ford GT took first, second, and third in class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans six years ago, but Ford has announced that the tenth and final special edition of the 2022 Ford GT will honor that 2016 Le Mans win. It’s called the Ford GT LM, and Ford is only building 20 of them. Delivery starts this fall, with production wrapping up for the GT by year’s end. The exterior color of the Ford GT LM is Liquid Silver lacquer, with interior and exterior trim in red or blue, a tribute to the red and blue race livery of the Le Mans-winning #68 Ford GT. Unique to the Ford GT LM is a 3D titanium-printed dual exhaust that features a “cyclonic design inside the tips that hints at the twin-turbo 660-hp EcoBoost engine. Above the tips, a titanium GT LM badge is also 3D printed.” No word on price, but with the entry point for a Ford GT being about $500,000, you know it’ll be north of that.

Exhaust: This late in the production cycle, it isn’t really possible to do any meaningful design and engineering work for just 20 cars, but Ford has done a nice job of making the last special edition GT a genuine collectible. Particularly notable is the source of the individual instrument panel badges: The team located the third-place 2016 Ford GT race car’s engine that was disassembled and shelved after the race. They ground down the crankshaft into a powder and developed a “unique bespoke alloy” used to 3D-print the instrument panel badge for each car, so they’ll all have a little bit of Le Mans on the dashboard. —Steven Cole Smith

Electric 964 Cabriolet is the first Everrati made in America

Intake: Everrati, the British electro-resto specialist has built its first car in the United States. Made in California with Aria Group, it features the firm’s Wide Body and a 506-hp, rear-drive, electric powertrain. It’s also claimed to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in four seconds, while offering a driving range of 200 miles thanks to a 62-kWh battery. Since its creation has more than twice the grunt of an original 964 cabriolet, Everrati has wisely upgraded the suspension to a TracTive adaptive system and boosted the brakes. The Cabriolet is the latest addition to Everrati’s range of electric classics which includes the 964 Coupe and Targa, Land Rover Series IIA, Mercedes-Benz SL Pagoda, and the upcoming Superperformance GT40 replica.

Exhaust: Making cars in California has effectively doubled Everrati’s capacity and also reduced the carbon cost of shipping cars across the Atlantic to what will, doubtless, become the company’s biggest market. Our experience with its conversions (which are fully reversible) in the U.K. has been pretty positive. If Everrati and Aria can maintain the standards in the U.S.A., then the millennial multi-millionaires will be happy. —Nik Berg

You want respect? Drive Tony Soprano’s Escalade

Intake: “Sometimes it’s important to give people the illusion of being control,” said Tony Soprano. What better illusion of control could you give than by driving Tony’s own Escalade? The character bought the white 2003 Cadillac Escalade ESV in season five of The Sopranos to replace the black example that he wrecked in an earlier episode, and it has been used extensively both on and off-screen. The car comes with its TV New Jersey license plate and has been signed by the late James Gandolfini, who played Tony Soprano for six seasons of one of the greatest television shows ever made. The car is available now from Import1 Motorsport in Pennsylvania for $175,000.

Exhaust: With six previous owners, including the show’s production company, the Escalade’s six-liter V-8 has racked up almost 111,000 miles, and last sold in 2015 for $119,000. We’re in the wrong racket. —NB

GM hit with $102.6 million trial verdict

Intake: It’s unusual for a class action lawsuit to go to trial, much less result in a verdict, but that’s what happened Tuesday when a federal jury in the U.S. District Court for the Northern California awarded $2700 to each of the 38,000 owners in three classes of consumers from California, Idaho, and North Carolina who had sued General Motors. According to Law360.com, the case involved an accusation of excessive oil consumption of the GM Generation IV Vortec 5300 LC9 engine. The vehicles in question are Chevrolet’s Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, and Tahoe and GMC’s Sierra, Yukon, and Yukon XL with the 5.3-liter V-8, model years 2011 to 2014. According to Businesswire.com, the jury found that GM violated the implied warranty of merchantability to California and North Carolina plaintiffs and breached the provisions of the Idaho Consumer Protection Act. Businesswire.com said the lawsuit, filed in late 2016, claimed internal GM documents showed that the company was “quickly alerted to a defect in the engine’s piston rings that resulted in the vehicles consuming too much oil. The excess oil infiltrated parts of the engine where it didn’t belong, resulting in damage and, eventually, premature engine breakdown and failure.”

Exhaust: This verdict doesn’t end it for GM. Co-lead trial counsel for the plaintiffs, Clay Barnett of Beasley Allen Crow Methvin Portis & Miles PC, told Law360.com that the firm has filed suits in other states for the same issue. The California, Idaho, and North Carolina class cases were just the first to go to trial, Barnett said. “Our work is not done on this GM issue.” —SCS

Porsche most valuable luxury brand, Ferrari strongest

Intake: Brand Finance, a valuation research company, has released its annual report on the most valuable and strongest luxury and premium brands. And once again, Porsche is on top as the most valuable, worth, the study says, $33.7 billion. Second through 10th: Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Cartier, Dior, Rolex, Ferrari in ninth valued at $8 billion, and in 10th, Estée Lauder, the only American company on the list. Brand Finance has a separate ranking of the “strongest” brands, as judged by “a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance.” Ferrari is ranked as the strongest brand with a score of 90.9, followed in the top 10 by Dior, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Estée Lauder, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Rolex, Lancome, and in ninth and 10th, Porsche (score of 85.1) and Aston Martin (84.8).

Exhaust: The report makes special mention of how the valuation is positive for Porsche. “Porsche’s leadership of the luxury segment is good news for the brand, which has just been spun-off by its brand owner, the Volkswagen Group, in an initial public offering on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.” Said Alex Haigh, Brand Finance Director: “Porsche’s new stock exchange listing demonstrates the value of a brand in a very visceral way, very much like the spin-off of Ferrari lead by Sergio Marchionne years ago. It made great sense to extract value hidden within the Volkswagen group, especially when you have an iconic luxury brand like Porsche which is so valuable.” —SCS

A110 “R” is Alpine’s most extreme sports car yet

Intake: Alpine has announced a new, hard-core variant of its A110 sports car called the A110 R. The R is all about weight reduction and turning track attitude up to 11. Thanks to extensive use of carbon fiber in areas like the wheels, the hood, and even the rear window (which is hardly a window at all—but objects in rear window are losing, so … ) The A110 R is 34 kg (roughly 75 pounds) lighter than the A110 S, which is now the A110 model range’s second sportiest offering. Alpine went nuts working on downforce and drag reduction, redesigning the hood, the rear window, the diffuser, and adding a new rear wing with swan neck mounts. Power comes from a 300-hp 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, and thanks to all that trimming on the scales the A110 R can sprint to 62 mph 3.9 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 177 mph. Alas, the A110—in any trim level—is not destined for the U.S. market, sadly. Still, we can dream. Alpine says that orders for the new A110 R begin this month, although it hasn’t released details on pricing yet. Expect this one to be a bit spendy.

Exhaust: Believe it or not, French cars and performance have conspired to create some pretty epic machines over the years. After all, Bugatti is a French brand, and Alpine’s parent company, Renault, has had its fair share of smash hits over the decades. We think the new A110 R looks  fantastic and would love nothing more than to get a chance to attack Circuit de Paul Ricard (or maybe Circuit de La Sarthe!) in one. Instead, we’ll settle for lust across the ocean. —Nate Petroelje

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CA approves ban on sale of new gasoline cars by 2035, WA to follow

Intake: The California Air Resources Board unanimously voted in favor of a sweeping plan to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered cars in the state beginning in 2035, a move that could accelerate the EV movement in the United States. (Especially if automakers such as Buick, Audi, Stellantis, and Honda successfully eliminate internal-combustion from their catalogs in 2030, 2033, 2038, and 2040, respectively.) California, which sells more cars and trucks than any other state, was given authority by the EPA (through a Clean Air Act waiver) to set and enforce more stringent standards than the federal government. Under Section 177 of the CAA, other states can legally follow and enforce California’s standards, as well. Seventeen states—Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—have previously done so and will likely again. Washington, in fact, has already confirmed as much. The CARB-approved plan does not take fossil fuel-powered vehicles off the road and allows for the sale of used ICE cars and trucks. With that said, California Governor Gavin Newsom has called the legislation “one of the most significant steps to the elimination of the tailpipe as we know it.”

Exhaust: While the California plan has received both applause and criticism, the question is, is it feasible—and by 2035? The plan requires a significant increase in public charging stations, and additional power stations will place further stress on an outdated California power grid that already utilizes rolling blackouts. What about the availability of materials? Potential supply chain issues? And how will California make up the billions of dollars it will lose in oil and gasoline taxes (assuming the petroleum industry goes down without a fight—which it won’t)? “These are complex, intertwined, and global issues well beyond the control of either [the California Air Resources Board] or the auto industry,” says John Bozella, president of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, whose membership includes Honda, GM, Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, Subaru, VW, Volvo, and Toyota. For all the cheers and fears, this issue is far from being settled. —Jeff Peek

Rest in peace, Nicola Materazzi, father of the F40

Intake: “When we launched the F40, it was like a bomb exploding,” said Nicola Materazzi, the father of the Ferrari F40, in a 2019 interview with Whichcar.com. “The following morning the commercial director stormed my office, showing a pile of paper. ‘Look at this,’ he stated, pointing to the pile with a serious voice. ‘What a mess you have created. In less than 24 hours we have 900 confirmed orders.’” They were planning on an entire model run of no more than 400. Materazzi, who left large fingerprints all over Ferrari, from the 288 to the F1 program, died earlier this week at 83. After working for Lancia, Materazzi was hired personally by Enzo Ferrari and was given multiple responsibilities before he was tasked to be the chief engineer of the revolutionary, barely street-legal F40. He left Ferrari during a dark period in 1987 and worked on other projects, including the Edonis supercar, before retiring near Naples, Italy, not far from where he was born, in a house filled with over 12,000 books. He will be fondly remembered.

Exhaust: The car that marked the 40th anniversary of the company was just sold by Gooding & Company at Pebble Beach for the record sum of $3,965,000. It’s a one-owner car with 1832 miles. Looks like the F40 itself is fondly remembered, too. —Steven Cole Smith

Jeff Gordon to race Porsche 911 GT3 with former crew chief Ray Evernham

Intake: Next weekend, during Porsche Sports Car Together Fest, four-time NASCAR Cup Series Champion Jeff Gordon will strap into a race car once again. Wonder Boy will temporarily step out of retirement to race a Porsche 911 GT3 in the IMSA-sanctioned Porsche Carrera Cup. The kicker: Gordon will be joined by fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer—and crew chief responsible for three of his four championship seasons—Ray Evernham for three days of curb-hopping (September 2-4) at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course. There, Gordon will go wheel-to-wheel with over 30 other competitors, in a #24 entry. “I’m looking forward to getting back in a race car and competing against a talented field of teams and drivers,” says Gordon. “Ray [Evernham] and I have always talked about running another race together, and we felt like Indy was the perfect place. It’ll be a fun way to spend the holiday weekend and make some new memories.” Gordon, a 93-time winner in NASCAR’s top division, won the Brickyard 400 a record five times, but never raced on the road course, as he retired from driving duties before NASCAR started to run the Speedway’s highly technical 2.4-mile, 14-turn infield circuit. The ex-Rainbow Warriors will look to change that stat next weekend.

Exhaust: Reunited and it feels so good. Something tells me that this might be more than a friendly reunion between Gordon and Evernham. Recall that Hendrick Motorsports—where Gordon currently serves as vice chairman—plans to campaign a Next-Gen stocker under the experimental Garage 56 banner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2023. Also consider that Tyler Reddick, a two-time road course winner this year in NASCAR, became an overnight left-right sensation after spending ample seat time in a GT3 racer. Could the parallels between the Porsche’s white-collar 911 and a NASCAR Next-Gen stocker be stronger than each side would care to admit? Perhaps. This news suggests the possibility thar Gordon could be one of the drivers to compete in the French endurance race. Regardless, it will be a welcome sight for all motorsports fans to see one of NASCAR’s most successful drivers take a green flag once again. —Cameron Neveu

Vintage Air adds popular GM G-body models to its air-conditioning catalog

Intake: Vintage Air now offers its Gen IV SureFit Kit air-conditioning system for 1982–88 Oldsmobile Cutlass and 1986–87 Buick Grand National and Regal models. This new climate-control system eliminates cables and vacuum connections and includes a new bolt-in LED backlit control panel that looks right at home in the ’80s G-body interior. The kits are available for both factory A/C cars and non-A/C cars and are manufactured in the United States.

Exhaust: Vintage Air has a good reputation for delivering air-conditioning retrofits that fit and, most importantly, perform. It’s always nice to see the aftermarket come to the aid of hobbyists, and this kit should be a big hit with ’80s GM fans. Beyond their high-performance turbocharged models that are quite collectible, the GM G-body is a great platform for pro-touring and drag-race builds, so this kit will hopefully mean more of these ’80s staples are seen as viable project cars. —Brandan Gillogly

Rimac swims against the tide, won’t build an SUV

Intake: Porsche started it, Bentley, Lotus, Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin, and even Ferrari jumped on the horse, but Rimac will not build a sport utility vehicle. That’s according to chief program engineer Matija Renić who told The Drive: “Never, ever. That’s what Mate [Rimac] says. We want to stay on the high-performance side. High performance, exclusive, low volumes.” If true, it would mean that Rimac maintains its position as a niche pioneer, not a follower of fashion, and continues to command the highest possible prices.

Exhaust: It’s worth noting that Renić speaks only for Rimac, not Bugatti-Rimac. With the W-16 engine bowing out in the Mistral roadster (below), which debuted last week at Pebble Beach, Molsheim’s next machines will certainly make use of Rimac’s electrification expertise, and an über-lux, more family-friendly Bugatti has been under discussion for some time. —Nik Berg

Chevy’s answer to the Maverick leaked in Brazil

Intake: The third generation of car-based, compact Chevrolet trucks was teased in a video series by GM Brazil, and GM Authority found a shot of the interior that’s bound to impress truck-loving Brazilians (if not depress fans of small trucks that used to roam American roads). The 2022 Chevrolet Montana is no longer based on a two-door subcompact coupe and is rather a legitimate crew-cab pickup based on GM’s GEM platform. Zoom in on the video, and you’ll notice how the dashboard sports a shiny panel that integrates the gauge cluster with the touch screen infotainment system, complete with a chrome-trimmed power (?) button reminiscent of the same real estate in a C8 Corvette. That feature alone suggests the Montana has a unique interior, one not shared with any of its GEM counterparts.

Exhaust: Let’s see, GM is going to sell a crossover-based, compact crew-cab truck with upscale touches and a unique design from other GM products sharing its hardware? Bring this rig to America, post haste! Let’s go, globalization! —Sajeev Mehta

Audi will join the Formula 1 grid in 2026

Intake: After many months of whispers in the paddock, Audi has confirmed that it will compete in Formula 1 when the sport switches to new engine regulations in 2026. The updated rules will see a move to sustainable fuel and an increase in electrification to 50 percent power and were crucial to onboarding Audi and stablemate Porsche. Audi Sport will build its own power unit in Germany, but exactly which chassis it will marry hasn’t been announced yet.

Exhaust: Audi’s announcement mentions only the powertrain, leaving the question of which team will run Audi power still open. There have been talks with McLaren, but the most likely partner now seems to be Sauber, which currently runs as Alfa Romeo. Audi reportedly wants to take full control of its F1 entry, which would mean buying a majority stake in the Swiss team. Alfa has just said it will end its sponsorship of Sauber in 2023 so it’s not difficult to join the dots. —NB

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The Bonneville Brougham. Most primo Pontiac of them all. And my buddy Jason Bagge (you may remember him, as I’ve written about several of his cars over the years) found one in Spokane, Washington. He posted pics. He bought it. I got excited. Because I love these. Absolutely. Love. Them. Let me tell you why.

First of all, I have always loved the bigger is better 1971–76 GM B- and C-body cars—especially the fancier versions. It all started at the rod and custom show in downtown Rock Island, Illinois, in early 1991.

I was 11. My dad took me and my brother to the show. It was January, so car show-wise it was the only game in town at that time. We checked out the classic cars and hot rods, and wandered around at the Expo Center. There were always a few vendors there on the fringe, selling automobilia, and one guy had a bunch of old car brochures.

As a domestic luxury car connoisseur even then (my grandparents owned Thunderbirds, LTDs, and Continentals—I imprinted on them), I immediately zeroed in on the 1971 Cadillac and 1971 Lincoln brochures. What size! What Broughamage! What cars! What happened?

I mean the then-new 1991 Cadillacs were nice and all, especially the Brougham and Brougham d’Elegance, but man, those ’71s! Wow. Awooga!

Well, 1971 was kind of the last hurrah for “bigger is better” over at General Motors Corporation. The 1971 biggies were brand new, Broughamtastic, and fully full sized. It was kind of the end of an era. Never again would an all-new GM full-size car be so large, in charge, and dimensionally extravagant. The 1971 B-body Pontiacs were smooth, comfortable, and powerful. And unlike today when your choices are sedan (maybe), combover, and SUV, a variety of body styles were available.

Yep. Four-door hardtop! Two-door hardtop! Convertible, sedan, wagon! No combovers or truck versions. Trucks? Heck, those were for plumbers, farmers, and tradesman—or maybe outdoor adventurers in Montana. You needed a CAR! And a loaded, luxurious sedan, coupe, or convertible was just the ticket. And the bigger the better. Hey, gas was cheap, wages were great, and the USA was the biggest, bestest place to live, bar none! Why not have a car to match?

From 1971–75, the biggest, bestest Pontiac was the Grand Ville. So Broughamtastic, it even eclipsed the former top-of-the-line Bonneville, with its C-body roofline and spectacular interior and luxury appointments. Of course it was the top of the line—it had “Grand” right in its name, for Pete’s sake!

However … For whatever reason, the Grand Ville name, despite its premium luxury, its velour, its power everything, and its sumptuous ostentation, just didn’t have the same brand recognition and familiarity as the vaunted Bonneville name.

Fun fact: the final full-size Pontiac convertible was the ’75 Grand Ville Brougham. Two door coupes and four door hardtops were also offered. I personally love the coupe. Squint a little and it could be a Coupe de Ville. Despite its beauty and sheer luxury, the Grand Ville disappeared after model year 1975, never to return.

But it didn’t really disappear, for the same car essentially returned for 1976—just with Bonneville Brougham emblems instead, a model name that had last appeared in 1970. Yep, as had been the case from 1957, its inaugural year, through 1970, the Bonneville was once again the most premium Pontiac.

And it showed. From the button-tufted velour interior, same as the outgoing Grand Ville Broughams …

To its opera windows and Bonneville etched-glass model identification …

And the all-important cigarette lighters in the backs of the front seats. If you lived through the 1970s, you know lighters and ash trays were as important then as cupholders and power points are in cars today.

And look at all that glass area! Yep, you could actually see all around you, and you didn’t need any backup sensors or backup cameras. By George, you looked behind you and judged for yourself whether or not the coast was clear, rather than hoping you didn’t miss something that you couldn’t see on the camera, like today.

Yes, the Bonneville Brougham was back! And in 1976, it was your last chance to get it in full-blown, seriously full-size fashion.

As I mentioned earlier, my friend Jason Bagge, The Brougham Whisperer himself, snapped up this Buckskin Tan Bonnie Brougham back in July 2018. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve written about his 1972 Bonneville, ’74 454-powered Monte Carlo, and ’70 454 Caprice previously.

As is his usual M.O., Jason planned to keep the car for a while. But then he found more cool old cars, like a 1973 Imperial LeBaron, and his priorities changed. In the approximately eight years that I’ve known him, I conservatively think he’s bought and sold 50 1970s land yachts of various marques and body styles.

So, despite its magnificence, the Imperial and another new acquisition, a police-package 1976 Catalina four-door pillared sedan (and more recently a 454-powered 1973 Caprice coupe) entered his life, and the Bonnie was sold.

So, the photos offer a close look at an excellent 1976 Bonneville Brougham, mostly original, with 400-cubic-inch V-8 power, power windows, power locks, power steering, power brakes, and pretty much power everything else., with 66,000 miles on the clock. And it’s a Brougham. Velour. V-8. Comfort.

Button tufted velour. And lots of stretch out room!

After 46 years of attrition, you don’t exactly see these on every street corner. In 1976, a total of 20,236 Bonneville Brougham four-door hardtops and 10,466 Bonneville Brougham two-door hardtops were built. No convertibles, as the previously-mentioned final Grand Villes spelled the end of topless Broughamage in ’75.

Despite my efforts to talk Jason into keeping this fine example (he doesn’t care for the color, Buckskin Tan—go figure), he sold it to a gentleman somewhere in the Midwest. And as always, I shall keep you all apprised of Jason’s latest acqusitions. Like the Post Office, you know there will always be more. Until next time, stay Broughamy and always tip your bartender.

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Jeep’s fluid-spraying wipers fix what ain’t broke

Intake: Seeing clearly is important, on- or off-road, and that’s why Jeep Performance Parts developed a new windshield-wiper system called Clean Sweep. It using hoses and a special wiper laser-cut with 12 holes sprays to fluid directly on the windshield, ostensibly doing a better job of removing dirt and debris from the windscreen while also using less washer fluid than a conventional system. The kit can be fitted to 2018-and-newer Wrangler and Gladiator models and includes wipers, arms with blades, and hoses to disable the factory-installed sprayer system and redirect flow to the wipers. Orders can be placed through the Mopar estore.

Exhaust: We spot two flaws: First, the holes face up when the arms aren’t in use, sitting parallel to the cowl. This allows dirt and debris to cover, enter, or clog the 12 carefully placed holes. Second: These newfangled wipers ring up at $140 and their rubber blades aren’t going to last any longer than a standard pair—which most folks don’t replace on time, even though they can be 1/10th as cheap as JPP’s. It might be a little stiff to declare this a solution in search of a problem, but most owners are more likely to spend that $140 on something else. We don’t blame them. –Kyle Smith

Is GM pondering an online heritage archive?

Intake: GM Authority discovered a recent U.S. Patent Office filing by GM for the name “GM Classic” as “providing a website featuring entertainment and educational information in the field of automobiles.”

Exhaust: This news could mean a number of things for auto enthusiasts. GM no doubt has a wealth of historic product information including product photos, brochures, and drawings that car buffs would love to see. Considering GM recently filed “GM Restoration” just a few months ago as a place for hobbyists to get parts to restore their classic GM vehicle, GM Classic could also be a place for articles on how to install said parts. For now it’s all just speculation, but we’re still excited to see what GM turns out. —Brandan Gillogly

F-150 Lightning raises prices ahead of likely tax-credit extensions

Intake: Though orders currently in the pipeline aren’t affected, Ford announced a price hike across the board for the next wave of F-150 Lightning orders. Citing “significant material cost increases and other factors,” all upcoming Lightnings will be anywhere from $6000 to $8,500 harder on the wallet than previous examples. In stark contrast to the slap in the face for Rivian reservation holders, Marin Gjaja, Ford’s chief customer officer, made it clear by saying, “We’ve announced pricing ahead of re-opening order banks so our reservation holders can make an informed decision around ordering a Lightning.”

Exhaust: Does a price hike before a check is even written make the act any less frustrating? Probably so, even if the Senate’s proposed EV tax-credit extensions, under which the F-150 Lightning would still qualify for the $7500 reimbursement, are passed through the House and are signed into law as part of the federal government’s latest spending bill. (You would also need keep your order under a somewhat-logical $80,000 threshold.) That probable change in tax-credit qualification is likely why Ford had the moxie to raise prices, although inflation was a problem for the Mustang Mach-E’s profit margins, and was likely a mitigating factor here. —Sajeev Mehta

Rodin FZERO is a no-limits track car from New Zealand

Intake: It may be called the FZERO, but the latest model from New Zealand’s Rodin Cars boasts some impressive numbers. Powered by a twin-turbo V-10 displacing four liters and supplemented by a hybrid system, the FZERO makes 1176 hp, weighs 1539 pounds, produces almost 9000 pounds of aerodynamic downforce, and has a top speed of more than 220 mph. Its designers basically threw away the rule book in a bid to create the world’s fastest track car. “The Rodin FZERO is the physical representation of the ultimate heights in vehicle performance,” explains David Dicker, founder of Rodin Cars, head of Dicker Data Australia, and owner of a Cosworth-powered Lotus 125 “F1 customer experience” car.

Rodin has sculpted the FZERO entirely from carbon fiber to keep mass to a minimum, and the list of suppliers is a who’s who of high-performance experts. The engine has been designed with Neil Brown engineering and is claimed to be the most compact V-10 ever made. Weighing just 291 pounds, it revs to 10,000 rpm and is supplemented with a 130 kW (174 hp) electric motor. The eight-speed gearbox is encased in 3D-printed titanium and comes in at under 145 pounds, the brakes are PFC carbon-carbon discs with titanium calipers, and the wheels are 18-inch forged aluminum items by OZ Racing. Avon slick tires are available in a range of compounds to suit track conditions. Just 27 will be made at a price of around $2.2 million and the first will be delivered in summer 2023.

Exhaust: Well, that just elevated the arms race. On paper the FZERO appears to be even faster than this year’s Goodwood record-smashing McMurtry Speirling which literally blew away a Formula 1 car on the British hillclimb course. Who else is hoping for a showdown in Sussex in 2023? —Nik Berg

103-car showcase for Bentley at Monterey Car Week

Intake: A total of 103 Bentleys, one for every year since the British brand was founded, will be on display on the peninsula during the course of Monterey Car Week and will rotate around the Home of Bentley. Visitors will be able to take test drives in the current production cars and pore over the Bacalar, Batur, and a multitude of other Mulliner models. Bentley is starting celebrations of its Le Mans win centenary early and will lap Laguna Seca in the Blower Car Zero and show off the Speed 8 in the U.S.A. for the first time since 2003. In the run up to Car Week a convoy of 30 Bentleys will also cruise up the Pacific Coast Highway from Los Angeles to arrive on Thursday, August 18.

Exhaust: Go big or go home, they say, and Bentley has chosen the former for its offering at Monterey Car Week. Beyond its automobiles the brand will offer virtual tours of its Miami residences, show off its home furnishings, and offer customers a taste of The Macallan single malt—because you’ll need a drink when you find out how much everything costs! — NB

Would BMW’s Daytona-winning M8 GTE fit in your garage?

Intake: The 2020 Rolex 24 at Daytona was a hotly contested race for the overall win, which went to the number 10 Konica Minolta Taylor Racing Cadillac Prototype. But arguably the best race was in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT Le Mans class, with the number 24 BMW M8 GTE taking the win over the two factory Porsches, which finished on the same lap as the BMW. While the cars were operated by Bobby Rahal’s Team RLL, they belonged to BMW, and BMW is selling off that winning car. The BMW M8 GTE Chassis Number 1809 will be on display in the BMW USA Classic garage during the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion from August 17-20 for prospective buyers to look over. “BMW has a proud history of preserving and exhibiting its rich collection of historic racing cars in both Munich and North America,” said Thomas Plucinsky, BMW USA Classic Manager. “I only need the fingers on one hand to count the few factory race cars that have left the ownership of BMW in recent years.” Presumably the new owner can preserve it as a trophy, race it in one of the historic racing series, or just bring it out on special occasions.

Exhaust: In fact, it’s very likely the car will see some track time. This past February, 1809 was tested at Palm Beach International Raceway in preparation for sale by racer Bill Auberlen, the driver with more victories in IMSA history (65) than any other. The car ran through a spectrum of tests that included updated programming for easier use by a customer. If you’re interested, email BMW at BMW-M-Motorsport@bmwna.com. Price? BMW won’t say, but our guess is about $1 million, and we aren’t far off. —Steven Cole Smith

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When GM president Rick Wagoner succeeded Jack Smith as CEO in June 2000, he knew he desperately needed an effective product leader—with a proven track record—to turn around the company’s aging portfolio. At this time, GM cars and trucks were reasonably competitive on quality but hobbled by ho-hum styling, cheap interiors, and dated powertrains. GM needed all three flaws fixed—ASAP.

Wagoner turned to Bob Lutz, who had resigned as Chrysler president after then-CEO Lee Iacocca snubbed him as his replacement to hire Bob Eaton (from GM Europe) instead. Lutz had started his auto career at GM Europe, then BMW, then in leadership positions at first Ford, then Chrysler. He had a stellar product-guy reputation, but he was languishing as the CEO of battery maker Exide. There was also the matter of Lutz’s age; at 69, he was four years past GM retirement age. Wagoner went to see him.

Wagoner’s first question: “Who do you know who’s just like you but 50 years old?” Lutz could think of no one. Wagoner asked if he would be interested in consulting. Lutz declined, since a consultant has no power to get things done. Then: “I don’t suppose you would consider rejoining us full-time.” Lutz said yes, provided he would have the necessary title and decision-making authority.

Lutz came on board as product vice chairman on Sept. 1, 2001 and over the next several years transformed GM’s product culture. He unleashed and empowered GM Design to spread its wings. He convinced reluctant finance leaders to invest sufficiently in better interiors, engines, and powertrains. He also had ideas on some exciting niche products—including a new GTO.

“When I was still at Chrysler, and later at Exide,” he later related, “I kept reading U.S. car magazines. And every now and then one would have an article on the Holden Commodore. They would say something like, ‘Commodore is the GM car that can take on a BMW M5 … the best car General Motors has ever made.’”

Holden, GM’s Australian brand, had a long history of rear-wheel-drive performance that was born and bred Down Under. When Lutz arrived in 2001, the company was making waves with the recently-introduced Monaro coupe, based on the VT Commodore. “Almost the minute I came to GM, I got in touch with Holden and said, ‘We could use a few of those Monaros over here as Pontiac GTOs.’ And I exchanged emails with some people in GM who were floating the same idea.

“I arranged to borrow a Commodore SS sedan, which had the same Corvette engine and gearbox as the Monaro, from GM’s U.S. engineering fleet, and we loved it. My wife got used to driving on the wrong side of the car, and I couldn’t pry her out of it.”

And when Lutz got a chance to drive a Monaro CV8 in early 2002, he was very impressed. “The more we looked at it,” he said, “the more we realized that, for the first time in 30 years, we actually had the basic structure to create a car worthy of the name GTO.”

When the Firebird died after 2002, Pontiac lost its last V-8, effectively stripping GM’s former hot-car division of that image. “It’s no secret we had a rebuilding job to do,” said the general marketing manager (soon to be general manager) at the time, Lynn Myers. “To reestablish our credentials as a performance division, we wanted cars that people would lust after. We wanted people buzzing about them on the Internet and young people hanging pictures of them on their walls.”

GM’s North American Strategy Board green-lit the program in March 2002, partly because of how quickly and inexpensively Lutz said it could be done using Holden’s excellent Monaro as a foundation. The order came for it to be market-ready in just 18 months—by late 2003—in advance of the January 2004 Detroit North American International Auto Show.

Design

Given the accelerated timeline, there was no time for new sheetmetal or major appearance alterations aside from a new composite front fascia for a proper Pontiac face. Most GM leaders felt that would be OK, since the Monaro already wore a tightly stretched, cleanly sculpted Euro-coupe skin that would blend well with Pontiac’s growing family of cleanly restyled products. (The smooth G6 and Solstice would arrive for 2005 and 2006, respectively.)

John Mack, who was design director for GM international joint venture programs, coordinated the visual transformation. “For reasons of both tooling and timing,” he said, “[GM] wanted to keep as much of the existing car as possible.”

Michael Simcoe, who headed Holden Design in those days (and is now GM’s Global Design VP), oversaw the project at Holden under chief designer Richard Ferlazzo.

The GTO’s new front fascia incorporated Pontiac-signature twin-port grilles, projector-beam headlamps, large fog lamps flanking a wide underslung air intake, a Pontiac badge on the nose, and GTO lettering on the left-side honeycomb grille. Wide W-rated tires on 17-inch five-spoke wheels and integrated “ground effects” along the sides helped give it a low, aggressive stance. A GTO front-fender badge and a rear spoiler set off the profile, while somewhat wimpy-looking twin left-side exhaust outlets and wraparound tail lamps with embedded backups completed the rear look.

Why twin exhausts on just one side? “The Monaro has asymmetrical body structure in the rear, and there was not enough time to move the right-side exhaust system to the other side,” chief engineer Bob Reuter explained, “even though it is a true dual exhaust system.”

The Monaro’s luxo-sport interior was carried over largely intact, and it could be color-keyed in red, blue, or purple to match three of the seven available exterior colors for 2004. “We also did custom-embroidered seats with GTO lettering, machine-drilled metallic pedals and a number of other things to take it where [it] needed to be,” Mack added.

One unfortunate feature for North America was the unhandy (right-hand-drive) Aussie radio—with its volume knob on the right.

Engineering

The Monaro’s dynamics were fantastic, vehicle line executive (VLE) Jerry Gillespie asserted, “so we didn’t change any of that character because it was already so good. But we needed more of a muscle coupe, which has a very different character. We wanted it to have more power, to be faster and to have an exhaust system that when you started the engine, you didn’t have to look at the tachometer to see if it was running.”

The engineering team’s top priority was improving performance and to “do whatever it takes to get that right … to make it a legitimate GTO,” Reuter said. “We made it breathe better [with a] much freer-running intake … and we put in a higher-lift cam to provide more torque. The ‘64 did zero to 60 in about 7.3 seconds; we’re two seconds better and it goes around corners better. Every way you look at this car, it’s clearly superior to the ’64.” They even benchmarked the ’64 GTO’s muscular exhaust rumble and came close to matching it.

As launched for 2004, the U.S. GTO’s Corvette-based 5.7-liter LS1 V-8 delivered 340 hp and 360 lb-ft of torque (though some later reports stated 350 hp and 365 lb-ft) through a choice of six-speed manual or four-speed Hydra-Matic transmission. And, because the Monaro’s ride/handling balance was already so good, all the chassis needed for the North American market was a set of performance-capable all-season tires instead of the summer skins it wore at home.

Similarities aside, the conversion to left-hand drive proved complex and there was considerable time and added cost necessary to make the GTO U.S.-legal. “We had to revise the interior trim, the knee bolsters and some of the garnish trim to pass federal safety requirements,” Reuter said, “We moved the fuel tank from under the rear compartment into the trunk [which reduced cargo space], made structural modifications to the longitudinal members and added a brace to load up the rear impact bar to the differential. All told, we changed about 450 parts on the car, which is roughly 20 percent of the overall content, including much that you can’t see, like seals and corrosion protection.”

Market thud

GTO assembly kicked off at Holden’s Elizabeth, South Australia plant in Sept. 2003 with a target of 18,000 units for the ’04 model year, and the U.S. launch followed soon after. Media reviews praised the car’s performance and handling but slammed its styling as too conservative for a proper GTO. Without muscular flanks, hood scoops, and bigger, more macho-looking dual exhausts, it looked more like a coupe version of the mid-size G6 sedan that followed for 2005. It didn’t help that its base price was about $34,000 ($11,000 over target), partly due to the Australian dollar’s strong growth vs. the U.S. dollar, and some foolish dealers asked for even more.

Standard equipment included a limited-slip differential with traction control, four-wheel disc brakes with standard ABS, 2 + 2 bucket seating with black leather seats and optional color coordination with exterior paint, and a premium sound system with integrated six-disc CD changer.

The hood scoops planned for 2005 arrived early as part of an ‘04 Sport Appearance Package that also brought a taller rear spoiler and more deeply inset front grilles. A late-year W40 package featured a special Pulse Red color with “GTO” embroidery on black seats and a grey gauge cluster. It was a rough start; just 13,569 GTOs were sold of the 15,728 imported for 2004.

The hood scoops became standard for ’05 along with split dual exhausts in a new rear fascia, optional 18-in. wheels, bigger brakes, a strengthened drivetrain and interior upgrades. Most importantly, a 400-hp, 400 lb-ft 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 replaced the LS1, dropping zero-60 times to well under five seconds. Still, ’05 GTO production slumped to just 11,069 cars. Hagerty features editor Conner Golden once owned a 2005 GTO, calling it “an alternate-reality, muscle-bound BMW M3. Or maybe a Corvette in an Australian fat suit.”

More changes followed for ‘06, but by then everyone knew that this reborn GTO was a lost cause. Just 13,948 examples were built in that final, bringing the three-year total to 40,808 before the last one rolled off the line on June 14, 2006. As had happened too many times before, GM leaders put timing ahead of market readiness and were unable to overcome a lame launch with later improvements. As many have said, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

The GTO did, however, whet Pontiac’s appetite for Australian muscle. For 2008, GM unleashed the VE Commodore-based Pontiac G8 with more dramatic styling and more engine options to fit a variety of budgets. The 415-hp GXP’s combination of a free-breathing LS3 and six-speed manual remains one of the most memorable sport sedans of the millennium. But even the G8 couldn’t escape low sales and the global recession that would end Pontiac altogether.

The post How GM revived the GTO with muscle from Down Under appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Since getting into this writing thing, one of the big joys of the gig (apart from conversing with commenters and seeing my untethered ramblings in digital ink) is digging deep into research. Rather, I get to read a lot.

As you probably gathered, I love reading. Being extremely on the spectrum (I have what used to be called Asperger’s), my preference is not for fiction. Anything remotely auto industry-adjacent, or automotive-related, however, is very much my thing. I’m physically incapable of walking past a thrift store or secondhand bookshop without investigating the treasures that lie within. There’s lots to criticize Amazon for (I try to use Abebooks these days) but the tech giant has finding obscure auto-related stuff much easier. When I meet my end it’ll probably be in a dusty house, stacked floor to ceiling with old car books and magazines. Something weighty, like Cars, toppling from a high shelf will connect with my head and deliver the final blow. I’ve made my peace with this.

I recently bought a copy of Brock Yates’ The Decline and Fall of the American Automobile Industry, and I’m about a third of the way through (time as ever being the enemy). The opening chapters describe in clear-eyed detail the complete failure to launch of the GM J-Car, and how those on the GM building’s 14th floor were as oblivious to the car’s shortcomings as they were obvious to those outside it. Which got me thinking about the concept of the so called “world car,” and why—on some level—it most often fails.

So, what is a World Car? In the past, when global markets were a bit more isolated from one another, it was long the dream of the major domestic OEMs to produce a mass-market car that could be sold on both sides of the Atlantic, and in Australia, with minimal differentiation. (It would sell in other developed markets too, but for brevity’s sake we’ll concentrate on the U.S. and Europe.) We’re not talking simply about a shared platform, but a rather complete car with negligible differences from Detroit to Dagenham, to Down Under. It could cost as much to develop car in Europe or Australia as it did in Detroit, so if these costs could be combined it would be an automotive buy one get two free. The savings would be astronomical!

Even though I’m in the U.K., you or I can equally walk into our respective local Honda dealerships this afternoon and (minor trim and equipment differences aside) buy examples of the same Civic. Rewind forty years and let’s say we’d tried the same experiment with the Ford Escort; one of us would have ended up with a reasonably competent mass-market hatch, while the other got an ersatz sort of copy that looked like it came from Wish.com. Remember both these (all three?) of these cars, because we’ll be coming back to them.

Ford inadvertently created a world car when it made the Model T, which sold all over the globe and whose manufacturing expanded to overseas with kits. Edsel Ford then took Henry’s River Rouge idea (raw materials in one end and cars out of the other) and transposed it to Dagenham just east of London in 1929. Dagenham is near where I grew up, and as a child I would always ask if we were going to go past the Ford factory, so I could see the huge Ford sign piercing the sky and the lines and lines of new cars parked up outside. (Car manufacturing has long since been offshored, but Dagenham remains as a major engine plant.)

Simultaneously, across the channel in Germany in 1929, Henry Ford started construction of another European plant in Cologne. It was a direct response to GM taking a majority shareholding in Opel, after GM had already purchased Vauxhall in the U.K. in 1925. Chrysler didn’t get into the Euro game until it bought the Rootes Group (mainly Hillman, Humber Singer, Sunbeam, and Talbot) in 1964. Chrysler’s Euro adventures were as messy as that lot sounds.

After the war, as ravaged Europe built its way out of devastation with help from the United States, car design and production began in earnest. Both Ford and GM now had separate design studios and engineering centers in both the U.K. and Germany, each developing their own models for their respective home markets—an incredible duplication of time and effort.

The U.K. has always had a slightly uncomfortable relationship with Europe, something post-colonial attitudes and two world wars helped amplify. In my humble experience, I’ve always thought the U.K. felt much closer to the U.S. socially, politically, and culturally than it does to its neighbors less than thirty miles away. Two countries separated by a common language, goes the joke. When Detroit decided it was going to start forcing closer cooperation between its Euro satellites in the early Sixties, there was a lot of resistance from the U.K. side.

What relevance does this fascinating history have to car design?

The first Ford of Europe (as it would come to be known) car was the 1968 Capri. Famously marketed as “the car you always promised yourself,” Europe’s “Mustang” was designed by the man who penned the original car, Philip T. Clark. Until exchange rates rendered it too expensive, the U.S. became the Capri’s biggest market, an indication that domestic customers were slowly beginning to turn towards smaller, nimble-driving cars with a hint of Euro sophistication and better economy.

This Americanization of European designs was no accident; designers and executives crossed the Atlantic regularly, an overseas posting on your resume was critical to ascending the ladder in Detroit. Look at the 1972 Vauxhall Ventora, or the 1970 Ford Cortina Mk3, and the influences are clear in the classic Coke-bottle hips and liberal use of chrome and vinyl. All of this brought a dash of Stateside glitz to the U.K., which was, even at that time, still a smoldering bomb crater.

The board was all set. By the early Seventies there was Ford of Europe, as well as GM’s Opel in Germany. Vauxhall had withered without investment from GM, and its offerings had become U.K.-built Opels affixed with a Griffin badge on the nose.

And then came 1972. That’s when the Honda Civic happened.

Although not conceived as a true world car, it was very much designed with export in mind, primarily to Europe. As the U.S. economy crashed and gas prices soared, the little Honda was suddenly the most fuel-efficient car you could buy. In the U.K., buyers were stunned by a well-engineered car that actually started on damp gray mornings and didn’t require a sleeves-up session every Sunday afternoon just to keep it running.

In a display of its burgeoning talent for advancements in the wrong direction, General Motors bolted first. In 1972 they came up with the T-car, a compact RWD platform that ended up underneath nearly all the GM brands worldwide. And because it was developed in both Detroit and Russelheim, the Vauxhall Chevette and Opel Kadett consequently sported completely different body panels to their American cousins, the Chevy Chevette and Pontiac T1000. Moderately successful despite their awful build quality and antiquated layout, the T-body cars were an expensive lesson in how not to design a car. GM refused to learn it.

Honda followed up the Civic’s success with the Accord in 1976. You don’t need me to re-litigate the impact of both these cars on the U.S. domestic market, as Detroit was shaken to its core. But we shall see that the real failure of GM’s subsequent compact, FWD J-car wasn’t totally due to the product. Blindness was the proverbial dagger—an arrogance as to how and why the market was changing.

One of the things that gets taught at design schools at the undergrad level is the creation of personas, a composite version of your target buyer. This considers age, income, education level and other socio-economic factors. You come up with a list of things these intended customers want in a car, and then use it to guide your design. Unimaginative students invariably come up with some idealized version of themselves, obscenely wealthy and successful at a young age, and then use that as an excuse to design supercars. It’s the sort of thing you do in university and then never do again, because once you get into an OEM there’s a whole marketing department with real customer feedback doing it for you.

Here we come to a fundamental design tenet. What exactly is your product going to be, and who is it designed for?

The Stateside success of the Volkswagen Beetle, another accidental world car, had convinced the GM brass that economical compacts were the purview of hippies, radicals, and other such anti-establishment types. This Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe country club thinking blinded executives to one salient fact: Middle America was purchasing imports, as well.

Here is what happened with the J-car. Tied to notions that served them well in the past, GM made the J-car a FWD parody of what had come before. Upon release in 1982, the J-cars were underpowered, overweight, and overpriced. Given the General’s numerous brands, it was also a badge-engineering job, which was something that did not fool American customers. The J’s only saving grace was that the European version had better engines and interiors. As a result, the Vauxhall Cavalier and Opel Ascona were well-developed and sold in good numbers.

Out of some sort of misplaced solidarity (or perhaps wanting a world car debacle of its own), Ford originally planned the 1981 Escort as direct replacement of the Euro Mk2 RWD Escort and the North American Pinto. Ford of Europe (FoE) was headed by Bob Lutz and he foresaw the new car must possess a FWD layout. Once the VW Golf and Civic appeared, Lee Iacocca (still a Ford VP at the time) had the sudden realization Ford U.S. had nothing to compete with, and demanded it become a global program. Hal Sperlich was the man in charge of the program in Detroit, but he was fired by Henry Ford II because of his closeness to Iacocca.

And then, seemingly overnight, one Escort design became two. Superficially similar on the outside, the two cars ended up sharing essentially nothing. They had the same wheelbase, but the U.S. model was longer and laden with additional trim: A stark contrast to the Euro model’s clean aero look.

Ford tried again in the 1990s when it came time to replace the Sierra, a once-revolutionary looking car hobbled by decidedly less than state of the art RWD running gear. Allocating a staggering $6 billion for the development of the CDW27 platform, the idea was for FoE to lead the design, and utilizing Ford of America’s expertise in V-6 engines and auto transmissions. Because the U.S. versions (Contour/Mystique) were coming to market a year later than the Euro Mondeo (a made up name to signify “world”), Ford of America had time to improve the final design for domestic tastes. And they did, again ending up with two cars that were somewhat similar but had expensively different sheet metal. Fate always having the last laugh, the final 2014 Euro Mondeo was a rebadged Fusion, designed entirely in North America. Landing in Europe two years after appearing stateside, it was criticized for being too big.

Let’s not forget our friends at Chrysler. The Chrysler Horizon/Dodge Omni had a messy and half-baked development hampered by the fact Chrysler U.K. was in dire financial straits. But when Mopar was on its mid-Nineties design roll it came up with the Neon, Bob Lutz’s declared import fighter. It was good enough (alongside Jeep with the TJ Wrangler and XJ Cherokee) to spearhead another European invasion. Thanks to favorable exchange rates in Europe, the Neon was a cheeky-looking and conspicuous bargain that did reasonably well this side of the pond.

OEMs put a lot of effort into identifying markets and customers, then using clinics and surveys to preview designs. Thing is, you can manipulate these tools to get the results you want (which GM did with the J-car to tell itself what it wanted to hear). It takes a lot of money to do them properly by offering ride and drives of prototypes, which GM perhaps didn’t want to spend. Forget a persona, GM management hubris based on past success pointed to a type of customer who didn’t actually exist.

When Toyota wanted to get into the full-size truck market with the Tundra, its designers and project managers actually went out to parking lots across the America, on the weekends, to witness first hand how people used their trucks. This is the sort of knowledge you can’t get from check box forms. It’s enshrined in the Toyota Production System as genchi genbutsu—literally translated as “get your boots on.”

Remember what I said previously about how experiences are important for a designer? My first trip to the U.S. came about in 1999. I was chasing a woman (as always, doing things the hard way) and we met up in Atlanta. As we toured the American South on our way back to her home in North Carolina, I was amazed by the number of Japanese cars I saw in these American heartlands. Like the U.K.’s fractious friendship with the Euro mainland, I assumed there would be cultural resistance to vehicles from Asia.

You must challenge your perceptions if you want your designs to be a success. The Civic and Accord succeeded in spite of the fact that they were not American. They hit the mark because they were good cars that didn’t insult their intended market’s intelligence.

The post Vision Thing: The World Car fallacy appeared first on Hagerty Media.

What, 420 horsepower hauling your 6016-pound Chevrolet Suburban around just not enough? Callaway Cars would like a moment of your time, and maybe $24,995-and-up of your money, to solve your problem. The estimable tuner from Old Lyme, Connecticut has developed a supercharger package for your new Suburban and other General Motors trucks and SUVs. How does 602 horsepower sound? Imagine how you could rocket to the head of the kid pick-up line at school.

Upgrades are available for 5.3-liter and 6.2-liter V-8s in the 2021–23 Cadillac Escalade, 2021–23 Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, 2022–23 Chevrolet Silverado 1500, 2021–23 GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the 2021–23 GMC Sierra 1500. The 602-hp figure applies to the 6.2-liter engines; the 5.3 can be boosted to 520 horses. The new GMC Sierra AT4X is also eligible.

Callaway’s Eaton superchargers are triple-cooled and controlled by Callaway’s engine management program. The vehicles, when driven conservatively, deliver “near stock” fuel economy, Callaway says. Intake and exhaust system modifications are included. In addition, “tasteful aesthetic upgrades, observing Callaway’s signature sophisticated approach,” are part of the deal. “Standard equipment includes Callaway Badging, interior and exterior, Callaway Carbon Mid-Engine Covers, Anodized Door Sill Inserts and Key Medallions. Plus, an Authenticity Documentation Package certifies that your Callaway is ‘the Genuine Article.’”

The upgrades are called, appropriately, the SC520 and SC602. They are available through Callaway’s authorized GM network of dealers. Pricing starts at $24,995 and includes a limited powertrain warranty, with optional coverage to 5 years/60,000 miles.

Check them out here.

The post Callaway wants to boost your Suburban (and other GM trucks and SUVs) to 602 hp appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Brad Zeidler is cheerfully realistic when it comes to why he can easily find good used parts for his 1981 Oldsmobile, and cheaply on eBay, no less. “What kind of idiot would restore one of these cars?” he jokes.

Zeidler’s Oldsmobile Omega is one of the four General Motors X-body front-drive compacts offered from 1980 to 1985. Remembered as one of GM’s particularly egregious failures, X-cars like this went to early salvage yard graves in considerable numbers, besieged by engineering and quality deficiencies.

As with just about any castaway car you might name, X-cars nonetheless have their own small but dedicated following today. Call it a celebration of the mediocre or a perhaps a quest for Concours d’Lemons fame, but these enthusiasts are enjoying themselves. Or punishing themselves. Take your pick.

Zeidler, a UPS driver and dad in Blaine, Minnesota, did not simply restore an X-car. He transformed it. No, make that “transmogrified,” because there just might be a bit of magic involved. The “Turbo 2.0 Liter” and “SmartTrak” badges on the trunk are the first clues that there’s something special going on here.

Behold what is most likely the world’s only X-car with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, six-speed stick, four-wheel disc brakes, and—wait for it—all-wheel drive. It’s all sourced from GM cars, too, right down to the tailpipe tips.

Precious plastic

Zeidler’s car is no ordinary Omega. It’s a SportOmega, one of just 696 built for a single model year. Olds was going for a techy European vibe with this model and the company made a considerable investment in tooling to give it GM’s first reinforced-reaction-injection-molded body parts. The plastic material was used on just the front fenders and fender flares, but that beat Pontiac Fiero’s wider use of it by three years.

Zeidler tells Hagerty that his research suggests just a handful of SportOmegas are still operating in some form. In his eyes, though, rarity and plastic fenders were not enough to justify a full purely stock restoration. Zeidler did nearly all the conversion work himself, while also restoring the SportOmega from bumper to bumper. Some might wisecrack that with any X-car, simply installing reliable brakes would improve on original condition.

Introduced for 1980, the front-wheel-drive Buick Skylark, Chevrolet Citation, Oldsmobile Omega, and Pontiac Phoenix replaced a quartet of rear-drive X-body models that were based on Chevy’s Nova. Mega-hype from GM, echoed in gushing praise from automotive media, drove an initial sales bonanza. The Citation won Motor Trend Car of the Year and also became America’s best-selling car, with a staggering 811,000 sold over the extended first model year.

Buyers really wanted to like these cars. But right away, customer complaints poured in for shoddy build quality, faulty steering and brakes, fuel leaks, and other maladies. And there were recalls. The Omega and Pontiac Phoenix were dropped after 1984, and Chevy sold just 63,000 Citations in 1985. Years later, it was revealed that the media test cars had been significantly doctored to mitigate known handling and braking problems in the new models.

Fun fact: Olds named the Omega for the last letter in the Greek alphabet and used the symbol, Ω for the car’s name badges. To an English/Greek speaker, “Ωmega” would probably be pronounced “Omegamega.” The name choice was prophetic, since Ω usually represents the last of something.

One man’s junk …

Zeidler’s 12-year odyssey with his SportOmega began at a point familiar to many enthusiasts.

“I was at a junkyard getting some parts for a different car when I saw it,” he recalls. “I took a few pictures and came home, did some research and talked myself into buying it.”

The car was largely intact, but a cracked windshield had let in water over the years, ruining the seats and front floors, and there was rust elsewhere. The original 2.8-liter V-6 and three-speed automatic transmission were long gone. (The 2.5-liter Pontiac Iron Duke was standard even in this “sporty” model.)

Zeidler’s restoration work got off to a slow start.

“At one point, I put it up for sale, but nobody wanted it,” he recalls. “I had it down to $600 and thought, I’m not going to give it away. So, I thought I would see it through to the end. I’ve got a lot of hours just looking at this car and wondering how I was going to make it work. And the light bulb comes on and I think, ‘I can try this.’”

He already had some practice. About 15 years ago, Zeidler converted a 1987 Dodge Shelby Charger to RWD with a supercharged Buick 3.8-liter V-6 and a T-5 five-speed stick. He didn’t rely on a kit, but rather his own ideas, including using modified independent rear suspension from a Pontiac 6000 AWD and the differential from an MN-12 Ford Thunderbird.

Zeidler says he picked up his mechanical skills while growing up on a farm, where he had to learn to repair everything. He served a stint in the U.S. Army as a helicopter mechanic and eventually became a flight engineer on a CH-47 Chinook.

So, update an X-car with Nineties powertrain tech? Sure, no problem. But first, what GM car could donate a powertrain and all-wheel drive system that would work in an X-car?

Having become familiar with the 1988–1989 Pontiac 6000 AWD through his Charger conversion, Zeidler briefly considered that car’s AWD system. The 6000 was one of GM’s midsize A-body front-drivers introduced for 1982, and which repurposed a lot of X-car hardware that actually worked.

Zeidler ruled out the 6000’s AWD, though, and instead pulled the AWD from a Swedish member of the expanded GM family, a 2009 Saab 9-3X wagon. Made by Haldex in Sweden, the Saab’s AWD system was used by GM and several other carmakers, including Audi, VW, and Volvo. (Borg-Warner later bought the Haldex Traction division.)

Haldex-equipped vehicles operate primarily as front-wheel drive. The transfer case spins the driveshaft to a rear differential, on which an electronically controlled wet-clutch pack automatically engages the diff when added traction is needed. The fourth-generation Haldex system donated by the Saab 9-3X was also used in the 2012–2017 Buick LaCrosse and the Saab 9-5 that shared its platform. On all three, there was also an electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Saab called its system “XWD.”

This Haldex system can operate the rear diff proactively, shifting a portion of the torque rearward under acceleration to help prevent front wheel slip. Among GM vehicles, though, Zeidler says only the Saab used it in conjunction with the Getrag F40 six-speed manual transmission.

All in the family

Zeidler canvassed the online world of X-car devotees to see if anyone had attempted such radical surgery.

“Some have done the Cadillac 4.9-liter V-8 with a five-speed manual, or the supercharged 3800 V-6, but none with all-wheel drive,” he says. “Initially, I wanted to use the 5.3-liter LS4 V-8 out of the front-wheel-drive Impala SS and Grand Prix GXP, but the Saab’s AWD transfer unit wouldn’t fit beside the block. So, I just went with the Saab’s 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo.”

GM’s widely used Ecotec opened a world of parts-sourcing would prove helpful for the conversion. The 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo was also used in the 2008–2010 Chevy Cobalt SS.

“They use the same crankshaft reluctor wheel sensor, so it’s just a matter of using the Cobalt’s camshaft position sensor,” Zeidler casually explains. “I got a swap harness to use the Cobalt SS ECU to run the engine. Nothing too difficult, really.”

Zeidler found the harness to be less than plug-and-play, however. “The vendor didn’t get it quite right. I had to dig out the diagrams, but I figured it out.”

In the Saab 9-3 models, the engine was rated at 210 horsepower at 5500 rpm, with 221 lb-ft of torque at 2500 rpm—about 100 hp stronger than the SportOmega’s original V-6.

Undercar surgery

Replacing the Omega’s rusted front floor sections was the easy part of undercar surgery. Then came the AWD install, and the X-car’s center hump design offered a big help in this regard.

“These cars had a huge section for the old pancake-style catalytic converter, so there’s enough room in that hump for the driveshaft,” Zeidler explains. “The way the transfer unit is positioned, the driveshaft comes down in the middle and clears the exhaust that I made. I even have one of the newer, smaller catalytic converters in there.”

There was one obstacle: the fuel tank was located right in front of the beam axle, blocking the driveshaft. Zeidler could have taken the simple route and put a fuel cell in the trunk. Instead, he created a saddle-style tank, with the custom-made driveshaft going through the valley and the exhaust detoured around it.

Zeidler was able to use factory half-shafts and CV joints. “With over-the-counter parts, they fit right in,” he says. “I had to have one of the rear shafts shortened a bit, which isn’t an easy process. You’ve got to find someone who can broach the new splines into the shaft.”

Zeidler modified the beam axle, which also included relocating the springs and modifying the hubs for the driven hub bearings and disc brakes. “It was a little research and trial and error,” he says modestly.

The front end was shot when Zeidler got the Omega, explaining it appeared as though the last owner had driven the car for miles with no bearings in the left spindle.

“The wheel was so far out of whack that the rim was scraping against the caliper and almost ground it in half. I still have those pieces.”

Trading an X for an A

Zeidler found that a lot of the chassis bits interchanged with the GM A-bodies, which were built into the Nineties. He also turned to other GM cars for parts. Needing larger wheels than the original 13-inchers, Zeidler found them from an Olds Achieva from the Nineties.

“For a $50 set of wheels and about $100 in paint, repair supplies, the emblems and pinstripe, they turned out pretty good,” he says. “Repairing polycast wheels is just like working on a urethane bumper cover. The welding repair material does not sand well at all.”

Amazing details

With just 696 of these cars made, the plastic fenders and flares are essentially unobtanium today. Zeidler says the front driver’s side fender was intact but cracked.

“I got a plastic welder and learned how to fix plastic,” he says. “The rear driver’s side flare was broken up badly and pieces were missing, so I had to reconstruct it.”

He sent the damaged front bumper cover to LKQ to refurbish, which cost $400. To source those very-Eighties body decals that nobody reproduces, Zeideler brought a section of a damaged door to a graphics shop on his UPS route.

“They duplicated all the graphics. The original white was an off-white, and the metallic gray was a shade or two lighter. To me, they just didn’t pop. So, I went with the Corvette white and darker metallic gray from 1981.”

Zeidler did all the metal work, body prep and painting in his garage. And, talk about sweating the details, he found that the “Turbo 2.0 Liter” badge from the later Eighties Buick Skyhawk T-Type conveniently matched the font used for the SportOmega lettering. The tailpipe tips came from an early-2000’s Pontiac Bonneville GXP. “They needed some cutting and welding to get the angle to match the valance panel,” Zeidler explains.

Wanting an Oldsmobile-related external badge to indicate AWD, Zeidler’s only choice was the SmartTrak emblem from a Bravada SUV. The real thing was too big, so he had a scaled-down version 3D-printed to fit under the 2.0 Liter badge.

Interior intrigue

The interior, as well, required some parts hunting in the GM family. Zeidler replaced the trashed front seats with a pair from a 1982 Chevy Cavalier Type 10. Remarkably, after much searching, he found what was probably the last four yards of NOS SportOmega seat cover material on Earth. “It was just enough for the job,” he says.

Although the Omega purportedly offered an optional gauge panel with a tach, Zeidler says he’s never seen one. Once again, he found a solution in a GM A-body.

Some Chevy Celebrities were equipped with a small bar-type tach, and he found a new-in-the-box unit on eBay for the 1987–1988 four-cylinder model for $60.

Zeidler removed the Omega’s unneeded automatic shift indicator from the instrument panel, enlarged its opening, and installed the tach. He was ultimately unhappy with the dash bezel he’d modified, though, and was planning a trip back to Rohners (an 80-acre salvage yard in Wilmar, Minnesota) to get another bezel to work on. LED replacement bulbs give the instrument cluster a techy blue light look, but Zeidler is pondering a change to red or orange. “That’s a quick job I can always change later.”

Revenge of the X-Cars

For his labors taking a cast-off Olds SportOmega where no man has taken one before, Zeidler has become something of a hero among the GM X-car faithful.

“A lot of them on Facebook are anxiously awaiting me to finish this thing,” he tells Hagerty.

He was still sorting out the final setup of the computer-controlled Haldex differential at the time of our interview.

“I had to put in a few extra wires to the engine harness so that it’s speaking to all the inputs from the speedo and the engine. I’ve pretty much got it all figured out.”

His Facebook page has a massive trove of photos documenting the entire build, in case you’d like to build your own AWD X-car.

Zeidler is justifiably proud of his creation. His utterly unique and extremely detailed SportOmega all-wheel-drive restomod shows how an innovative garage-built effort can turn even a GM X-car into a gem.

Bravo.

The post X-Man: Reviving a junkyard Olds Omega in spectacular fashion appeared first on Hagerty Media.

GM considering factory restoration shop, trademark filing suggests

Intake: A recent filing with the United States Patent Office (USPTO) by General Motors may hint at an exciting new chapter for the beloved Detroit brand. The patent trademarked the phrase “GM restoration,” which implies that The General is eyeing an in-house restoration business akin to the ones offered by Porsche, Land Rover, and a few other OEMs. Or perhaps the filing precedes the announcement of a new run of parts for certain classics. Details are sparse, but the fine text mentions that all sorts of components could fall under this trademarked entity’s purview, including mechanical bits like camshafts and exhaust manifolds as well as certain electronics, body panels, and rubber components. In the not-too-distant future, you maybe be able to head straight to the source for a full-blown revitalization of that barn-find ’68 Chevelle SS (or 1967 L88, as shown here).

Exhaust: But should you? High-quality restorations are not simple undertakings—even if you’re the company that built the thing in the first place. “The restoration program will have to offer a service that essentially hands you back a perfect car when finished to be in consideration over the well-established restorers like Kevin MacKay, whose shop has a proven track record of restoring concours-quality cars,” says Hagerty Price Guide editor Greg Ingold. It might be more logical that this new branch will specialize in the (re)production of older, hard-to-find parts, akin to Toyota’s GR Heritage Parts or the Nissan equivalent. Regardless, all signs point to the General making an effort to help keep the classics we know and love on the street. How ya gonna say no to that?

VW’s flagship EV … is not a crossover

Intake: Meet the Volkswagen ID.Aero concept, the latest salvo in the German brand’s ongoing electrification onslaught. As most good concept cars do, the ID.Aero offers some hints the production version of VW’s new global-market flagship sedan. For starters, VW’s MEB platform will underpin this 16-plus-foot chariot—bones shared with the ID.4 crossover and the forthcoming ID.Buzz electric van. Short overhangs and a long wheelbase bolster cabin space, though how that space is used is anyone’s guess–there are no interior photos as of now. Sleek bodywork and a sedan profile help the ID.Aero achieve a drag coefficient of 0.23, which still lags behind the Tesla Model S’ 0.208 and the 0.20 figure claimed by the Mercedes-Benz EQS. That said, 0.23 is a far better than what most crossovers can achieve these days, and is especially advantageous for the battery-electric ID.Aero. That slippery shell helps the car maximize the range of its 77-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which VW says achieves up to 385 miles of range on the WLTP test cycle. (That figure may diminish slightly as the car makes necessary concessions to production-spec vehicle regulations.) VW says that production for the ID.Aero for the Chinese market will begin in China in the second half of next year. European-spec models will begin rolling off the firm’s Emden production facility in Germany around the same time. No word on U.S. production yet, but we’d anticipate it’s not far behind—think late 2023 or early 2024.

Exhaust: Flagship sedans in a crossover-crazed world? Haf ze Germans lost zier mahbles? Not entirely. Low drag coefficients are easiest to achieve with low-slung, rounded shapes; the more your new ride looks like a river rock, the better. (Yes, even the floorpan.) Sorry crossovers, ultra-low drag coefficients are gonna be a bit tougher for you. That said, if the new ID.Aero arrives in the U.S. before the ID.Buzz’s return in 2024—according to VW, it will—we can’t help feeling like some resources were misallocated. Folks seem genuinely excited about a delightfully retro electric van; we’re skeptical that the same could be said for another sedan.

Euro looks with an American heart: Jay Leno drives an Apollo GT

Intake: Of all the ideas an enterprising twenty-something may have, starting a car company has to be one of the more far-fetched. That didn’t stop Milt Brown during the mid-1960s, though. The Apollo GT first saw the light of day in 1963 as an Italian-built body that was shipped to the U.S. where it received a Buick 215-cubic-inch V-8. Its blend of European panache and American power has long been a hit worldwide. Just 88 were produced, so if, after this video, an Apollo is something you want, know you might be searching for quite some time for the right car.

Exhaust: The early prototypes were all aluminum, but when production ramped up, the bodies became steel with aluminum hoods and doors. That changes the weight a bit, but this is still a fairly lithe car, considering the 225-horsepower produced by that Buick V-8. Claimed top speed in period was 150 mph, which was very good performance for the $6000 base price. Of course these days $6000 won’t get you one of these American exotics—a #3, driver-quality car can easily fetch over $100,000. Crazier dreams have been realized, though …

F1 extends ESPN contract, price skyrockets

Intake: According to a report in Sports Business Journal, Formula 1 has agreed to renew its broadcast contract with ESPN for three more years, through the 2025 season. How much money? Sit down: Between $75 and $90 million a year, up enormously from the approximately $5 million a year ESPN pays now. The deal reportedly gives the broadcast company the right to put a small number of races on its ESPN+ streaming service, though most will air on ABC or ESPN. The races on ABC are likely to be the two U.S. events, in Miami and Austin, and possibly Montreal and Mexico City. In renewing with ESPN, SBJ says F1 turned down offers from Comcast, Amazon, and Netflix.

Exhaust: What is the reason for the steep climb in F1 popularity in the U.S.? That would be Netflix’s Drive to Survive series, which follows multiple drivers and storylines during an F1 season. Premiering in 2019, Drive to Survive is a top-10 show in 56 countries. ABC’s coverage of the F1 race in Miami peaked at 2.9 million viewers and averaged 2.6 million during the actual race. F1 even beat out NASCAR’s audience for the Darlington event in the critical 18–49 age demographic. Formula 1 is red-hot, finally, in the U.S. And it makes you wonder just how much TV rights will be worth when ESPN’s contract is up in three years, after the Las Vegas race debuts in 2023.

Wayne Gretzky’s custom boat is a sight to behold—just like #99

Intake: Idaho’s beautiful Lake Coeur d’Alene is known for its classic boats, and even though summer has just begun, it’s going to be difficult to unseat this newbie as the most talked-about vessel on the water this year. Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky and his wife, Janet, will soon launch—or relaunch—their new 34-foot, custom-built Steinway 340 HT powerboat after taking possession of it last September (two days before shutting things down for winter). According to the Robb Report, the Steinway was designed and hand-built for the Gretzkys by Coeur d’Alene wooden-boat specialists Coeur Custom. Crafted from Sapele hardwood using traditional double-planked construction, the open-bow day cruiser glows with its 16 coats of varnish and shiny stainless-steel trim. It seats up to 12 passengers and has a galley and toilet. The cushions are embroidered with Gretzky’s iconic 99 jersey number.

Exhaust: Gretzky, arguably the greatest hockey player ever to lace up skates, forged his record-setting career by being ultra-competitive on the ice. Off it—just like his idol, Gordie Howe, who also loved boating—Gretzky is one of the most approachable and down-to-earth superstars you’d ever want to meet. So it should come as no surprise that despite Gretzky being able to afford whatever he wants, he settled for a lake boat instead of an ocean-going yacht. Forever known as The Great One, perhaps his boat will be too.

Ford institutes draconian EV lease restrictions?

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GM ready to return to Europe “as an all-EV player”

Intake: As electric vehicle sales in Europe rise, the Detroit Free Press reports that General Motors is considering a return there after it ended its 90-year European presence in 2017 (Corvette and Camaro aside). “About five years ago, we sold our Opel business to what is now Stellantis, and we have no seller’s remorse from an internal combustion business,” GM CEO Mary Barra said at the Milken Global Conference in Los Angeles. “But we are looking at the growth opportunity that we have now because we can reenter Europe as an all-EV player. I’m looking forward to that.” The New York Times reported in December that more than 20 percent of new cars sold in Europe and Britain were electric, which explains GM’s interest as it moves toward an all-electric (U.S.) lineup by 2035.

Exhaust: Considering the current situation in Europe—namely the exorbitantly high gasoline prices—this appears to be a sound business move for GM, which suffered losses in each of its final 16 years of Opel and Vauxhall ownership. Don’t be surprised if GM makes its European EV operations a priority, not only because the time is right but because it could use a win in that market.

2023 Kia Soul drops turbo engine, simplifies trim lineup

Intake: Kia has unveiled a host of updates for its funky little runabout, the Soul. For the 2023 model year, the Soul features a few new styling elements and a simplified trim lineup. The biggest news, however, is in the under the hood. The plucky 201-horse, 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic have been dropped, leaving a 2-liter four-pot good for 147 hp and 132 lb-ft of torque and a sleepy CVT as the sole driveline choice. Bummer. New front and rear fascias and new lighting elements at both ends amplify the Soul’s funky shape even more. Two new paint schemes join the fray, both two-tone affairs with black roofs and either white or Surf Blue (pictured) body colors. There’s a simplified trim range, as well—gone are the Soul Turbo and the more adventurous X-Line models. In order from modest to loaded, the lineup is as follows: LX, S, EX, GT-Line, and GT-Line Tech. All but the LX model will get a 10.25-inch central infotainment screen as standard. Spring for the GT-Line with the tech pack, and you’ll get niceties such as a Harman/Kardon audio system. Pricing and availability will be announced in the months to come.

Exhaust: We’re bummed to see the sporty Soul Turbo and the X-Line’s killer Undercover Green paint go the way of the Dodo—that X-Line trim was only around for two years. Still, tightening a low-cost (and, by extension low margin) offering makes sense, and we’d bet the bean counters are happy with the savings generated by a uniform drivetrain and the reduced production complexity. The Soul’s main selling points are its low sticker price (you can get a 2022 LX model for $20,545) and quirky form factor, and the new updates have kept the latter intact. Now to see whether Kia can keep the Soul affordable. 

Camaro ZL1s stolen from GM plant recovered after pursuit

STOLEN VEHICLES RECOVERED: On 5/2 at approximately 12:17 am, troopers from the Lansing Post and Brighton Post flooded I-96 for vehicles that were stolen from a GM auto plant in Lansing after information was put out on a BOL. 1/7 pic.twitter.com/VeqfljxflE

— MSP First District (@MSPFirstDist) May 2, 2022

Intake: According to a Twitter thread from the Michigan State Police First District, nine suspects drove off from the GM plant in Lansing in five stolen Camaro ZL1s with a total value of $375,000. With the call out on the radio, officers spotted the vehicles speeding on I-96 and attempted to pull them over. None of the miscreants complied. After a pursuit, some of which were ended by way of Stop Stick tire deflators, all vehicles were recovered and the suspects apprehended.

Exhaust: With all of the production slowdowns we’ve seen across the automotive industry, the future owners of these Camaros have likely been waiting quite a while to take delivery. Considering the damage done to the vehicles as they ended up on the highway median, they’ll end up going to a salvage auction. We feel bad for the owners who will now have to wait even longer to get new vehicles built. The only solace in this ordeal is that nobody was injured. 

Miami Alpines are still forbidden fruit

Intake: Alpine is bringing its awesome A110 sports car to Miami, Florida, for the Grand Prix weekend, and announcing a special South Beach Colorway pack. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean the car will be available in the U.S.A. any time soon. Instead, European and Asian buyers can indulge indulge their Miami vices and pick up a car in Bleu Azue or Rose Bruyére colors, inspired by the art deco buildings of South Beach. The pastel-hued bodywork is accompanied by 18-inch white Serac alloy wheels, and the interior gets special floor mats and stitching. The French firm also offers its Atelier Alpine program with a further 20 heritage colors for customers looking to create an individual automobile.

Exhaust: Since its relaunch in 2017, Renault-owned Alpine has been steadily gaining ground. The A110 is a genuine Porsche Cayman rival that has found favor with fans, and an EV sports car is under development with Lotus. Sadly the only chance American’ will ever get to see one is at a Grand Prix circuit where the name adorns France’s Formula 1 cars.

Lamborghini’s next-gen Huracán racer looks marvelous

Intake: Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse racing division has unveiled the next generation of its Huracán GT3 car, dubbed the EVO2. Derived from the road-going Huracán STO, the EVO2 cribs a few of the STO’s styling elements and affixes them to an FIA-homologated chassis. The intake for the engine has now moved from the sides of the vehicle to a hexagonal snorkel (akin to that on the STO) above the cabin for better airflow directly to the engine. The V-10 in the EVO2 also gains electronically actuated throttle bodies for each cylinder. The bodywork, which remains carbon-fiber, features new diffusers, splitters, and a new underbody to bolster aerodynamic balance and improve overall downforce. New brake calipers and pads designed by Squadra Corse will deliver better performance in both endurance and sprint races, according to Lamborghini. Deliveries will begin in the second half of this year, but if you’re already in possession of the previous Huracán EVO, you can upgrade to the EVO2 spec via an evolution kit. The Huracán GT3 EVO2 will make its race debut at the 2023 24 Hours of Daytona next January, where it will take the flag against competitors such as Chevrolet’s factory-backed Corvette C8.R and Porsche’s 911 RSR.

Exhaust: Lamborghini and racing go together like Nebbiolo and carbonara, so we’re excited to see Squadra Corse continue to support and develop the Huracán platform. The road-going STO is a perfect candidate to imitate, as that car is one of the automotive world’s closest approximations of a literal race car for the street. The Huracán GT3 EVO2 looks killer, and we can’t wait to see it battling on the banks of Daytona and other great tracks next year.

2023 Polestar 2 adds range, glam, and $2600 to base model

Intake: Not a week after learning about the updates for the 2023 model year Polestar 2, we now know pricing and a few more details. Thanks to new software, which will be delivered over the air, the heat pump now keeps the battery happier between 20 and 77 degrees Fahrenheit, coaxing 10 percent more range (11 miles for the dual-motor model) from its cells. Along with that upgrade comes a handful of subtle aesthetic changes: Void, the gloss black paint which is currently the default choice, drops from the palette entirely in favor of Magnesium, a light silver. Fans of darker shades get some subtle glitz with the addition of Space, a metallic black previously seen on the fetching Polestar 1 coupe. All leather, including a new shade of Zinc, is now sourced from Scottish firm Bridge of Weir, which you might remember from Jaguars, Aston Martins, or the occasional Lincoln (including this one, which, like the Polestar 2, can claim a distant relationship to Volvo). The dual-motor 2 sees no change in cost from 2022 to 2023, staying at $53,300 with destination. The base, single-motor version lumps $2600 onto its bottom line. Both models are eligible for the full $7500 EV tax credit, which does soften the blow—until you remember that the 2022 models qualified, too. Deliveries for 2023 MY Polestar 2s are scheduled for this September. 

Exhaust: You’ll need to really like metallic black—or the absolute newest thing—to drool over these updates. But, in your underwhelmedness, don’t ignore the foundation. Even the base-model Polestar 2 is a very compelling vehicle, with a slick Google-based infotainment system, a Polestar-estimated range of 265 miles, and chic minimalist styling. You can read our review of the 2022 base model here, and its higher-performance version (2021 MY) here. 

R.I.P. Tony Brooks 1932–2022

Intake: British Grand Prix ace Tony Brooks has passed away at the age of 90. Brooks was the last surviving Formula 1 winner of the World Championship’s first decade, taking six victories in the 1950s. Having done a year with BRM, Brooks signed for Vanwall alongside Stirling Moss and scored a maiden win at Silverstone in 1957, before taking the checkered flag in Belgium, Germany and Italy for the team in 1958. Brooks signed for Ferrari in 1959 and won in France and Germany, coming second in the drivers’ championship to Jack Brabham. Two further seasons with Yeoman Credit Cooper and BRM failed to deliver any major results and Brooks retired in 1961. Having cheated death several times during his career, Brooks left the sport behind to focus on his garage business. “He was part of a special group of drivers who were pioneers and pushed the boundaries at a time of great risk,” said F1 chief Stefano Domenicali.

Exhaust: Brooks was a true gentleman racer with genuine speed. During his six seasons in Formula 1 arguably only three were in competitive machinery and he came incredibly close to winning the World Championship. He wisely left the sport at the age of just 29 having seen too many of his fellow drivers killed in action and went on to live a long life. Our thoughts go out to his family.

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ItalDesign DeLorean flashes rear end, and it ain’t your father’s time machine

Intake: It’s been over 40 years since John DeLorean took the automotive world by storm with the debut of the iconic DMC-12 in 1981. Though DeLorean’s company collapsed in an ignominious blaze of bankruptcy the next year, it didn’t take long for the gull-winged design from Giorgetto Giugiaro to capture the imaginations of the Back to the Future filmmakers in 1985. Cult-classic status ensued for the stainless-steel coupe, and the original DeLorean car’s mystique lingers today. However, much has changed behind the curtain of the brand. After splitting into two parts, past and future, the reborn “energy mobility company” of DeLorean Motors Inc., in partnership with Italdesign, will be bringing an electric DMC-12–inspired concept (above) to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on August 18, three days sooner than anticipated. In focus, this rear-taillight teaser gives us the latest visual taste of what promises to be a provacative turning point for the DeLorean nameplate—should the company, led for the past three months by ex-Karma staffer Troy Beetz, prove that it can take the concept to production.

Exhaust: Even in this ’80s- and ’90s-obsessed age, passing off an entirely new vehicle as the successor to an old nameplate smells like a shameless money grab. At least Lamborghini had the self-respect to integrate internal combustion with electric power when it resurrected the Countach at the same venue last year. Fans lamenting a modernistic overhaul can rest assured that authentic nostalgia isn’t all lost for the original DeLorean now that the NHTSA’s Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act has passed, permitting boutique manufacturers to build replicas of the ’80s cult classic—though the role of the reconfigured DeLorean company in this rerun has become hazy. Will ItalDesign’s sleek BEV successfully reinvent the DeLorean nameplate, or will it become another footnote in the story of John Z.’s moonshot? 

Le Mans star Alfa Romeo up for auction

Intake: A stunning 1969 Alfa Romeo Tipo 33/3 Sports Racer that both competed at the 1970 Le Mans and featured in the Steve McQueen movie Le Mans is to go under the hammer at RM Sotheby’s Monaco auction on May 14. The car was driven by Nanni Galli and Rolf Stommelen and remarkably led the 24-hour race for 220 laps before being disqualified for receiving a push start. Built by Autodelta, the Tipo 33/3 was designed to take on the twelve-cylinder Porsche 917 with a three-liter V-8. Listen carefully to the soundtrack of McQueen’s racing epic and you might just catch the wonderful wail of the Alfa engine as it flies down the Mulsanne Straight. RM Sotheby’s says that it is “a machine which has been meticulously cared for and looked after, going through a 7-year ‘rolling rebuild,’ which has resulted in a car that is both competitive but respectful to its history and originality.” A “staggering sum was spent on overhauling, stripping-down, and preparing the car for vintage racing. And with this storied Alfa Romeo example comes entry to many great series and events thanks to its remarkable place in history.” This awesome Alfa is estimated to fetch between €1. and €2.1 million ($1.9 to $2.3 million).

Exhaust: This car’s racing pedigree alone should encourage a solid price. A direct association with The King of Cool regularly brings a premium, but since the connection here is far more tenuous—McQueen didn’t own it—we’ll have to wait and see whether the magic rubs off and sends bidding into the stratosphere.

Hertz adding 65,000 Polestar electric cars to its worldwide fleet

Intake: Plans to order 65,000 Polestars over the next five years will bolster Hertz’s fleet worldwide, with deliveries in Europe starting shortly and U.S. and Australian deliveries beginning later in 2022. Hertz hopes to have the largest fleet of EV rental cars in North America and Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath is eager to pursue the partnership. “We are delighted that Hertz has chosen Polestar as a strategic partner on their road to electrification. The partnership with a global pioneer like Hertz will bring the amazing experience of driving an electric car to a wider audience, satisfying a broad variety of our mutual customers’ short- and longer-term mobility requirements. For many of them, it may be the first time they have driven an EV, and it will be a Polestar.”

Exhaust: While Europe will be getting the first deliveries of those 65,000-strong Polestar orders starting this spring, we’d wager that the size of the North American rental market will mean that the bulk of the order will be coming to the States. Each time we’ve been had seat time with various Polestar 2 models we’ve been impressed with the driving experience. Even the entry-level, single-motor 2 is a great ambassador for electric vehicles.

Honda leans even more on GM for “affordable” EV fleet, officially due in 2027

Intake: An announcement from both automakers today revealed that GM and Honda would grow their EV partnership in efforts to develop lower-cost EVs for a broader audience. The partnership will target numerous segments including compact crossover SUVs, which account for the largest segment in the world at more than 13 million annual units. GM and Honda first announced a working relationship back in 2018, and in 2020 Honda announced that it would use GM’s Ultium battery platform to develop its first North American EV, the Prologue, and an electric Acura SUV, which might be named the ADX. In April, Honda announced intentions to develop an electric architecture of its own, dubbed e:Architecture, on which it would build a series of EVs first for the North American market, and then for other regions of the world. Today’s announcement seems to indicate that while e:Architecture may be a Honda-led platform, it will rely heavily on advances made from the partnership with GM. While the Prologue and the forthcoming Acura EV will ride on the Ultium platform, the next round of EVs may ride on Honda’s e:Architecture, but expect them to be heavily influenced by innovations in motor, battery, and inverter design

Exhaust: Honda and GM’s partnership has, in the eyes of both firms, been a win-win thus far. Scale can be a tough ask for battery tech, and having a partner in the matter should help move things along at a quicker (and cheaper) pace when it comes to lofty goals with innovations like solid-state batteries. Local production of its North American EV portfolio saves Honda lot of cash compared to exporting its proposed e:N offerings from China, and signals that the automaker is sensitive to the differences between the U.S. and Chinese markets. 

Lamborghini hints at V-10 model debuting April 12

Intake: Lamborghini gave us a hint that a new V-10 model is on the way. There were no details other than the single photo with a carbon-fiber engine cover highlighted by an emblem noting the V-10’s firing order and a graphic with the April 12 date. In case you’d like to watch the event unfold, 12:00 Central European Summer Time would be 6:00 am ET. Better double-check your coffee stash.

Exhaust: Considering Lamborghini has just one model line that still uses the V-10, it’s safe to assume that we’ll be seeing a new variant of the Huracán next week. Spy photos have surfaced recently of a rally-inspired Huracán that could point to a production version of the Sterrato concept that was built in 2019. (Both the prototype and the concept are shown in the gallery below.) The concept included a slight lift, skid plates, and taller tires with more sidewall so that it could brush off bumps and bruises sustained while participating in off-road hijinks.

What happens when a classic 911 and an i3 collide?

Intake: As Porsche works towards an electrified 911, a small Bulgarian company has already developed an electric “elfer” with the aid of a BMW i3. Starting with a G-Series 911, Sofia-based Modern Classics stripped out the boxer engine and replaced it with a single electric motor and battery from the quirky little BMW i3S.  With 186 hp it offers up more oomph than the original ICE engine, albeit without that characterful boxer beat. The battery is rated at 42 kWh which is said to be good for a range of up to 155 miles on a charge. Meanwhile, it will accelerate to 62 mph from rest in a respectable 6.8 seconds, with top speed capped at 100 mph.

Exhaust: We’ve seen EV-converted 911s before, notably the 964 Reimagined by Everrati, which offers amazing modern performance for a very premium price. This more modest interpretation, with its period-appropriate performance and likely more affordable price might prove more appealing.

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GM’s heavy-duty pickups likely headed off-road in 2024

Intake: GM-Trucks.com recently spotted an off-road-focused Sierra HD that’s quite a bit beefier than the current AT4. Based on the camouflaged prototypes spied by the publication, both the Silverado and Sierra HD pickups will likely be joined by even more off-road-capable versions for the 2024 model year, following on the heels of the long-awaited Silverado ZR2 and Sierra AT4X. The pre-production pickups flaunt 35-inch tires, new bumpers with better approach angles, and sturdy skid plates. Each is expected to use front and rear lockers like its midsize and 1/2-ton counterparts.

Exhaust: The pickup truck market is huge and buyers are willing to pony up for expensive trim levels, whether luxury-focused or off road–oriented, so it seems natural for GM to offer a more off-road focused line of Sierra and Silverado. The fact that the Power Wagon and now the Super Duty Tremor have been able to establish themselves in the market proves that these trucks are viable. If these two offer the balance of on- and off-road ride and handling that the Colorado ZR2 has continued to deliver, then GM should have two smash hits on its hands.

Arizona lets you store drivers’ license on iPhone; more states to follow

Intake: Apple has announced that Arizona is the first state to offer driver’s license and state ID in the iPhone Wallet app, a method of identification that has been approved for use at TSA security checkpoints. Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, says other states will soon follow suit, including Colorado, Hawaii, Mississippi, Ohio, and the territory of Puerto Rico, as well as seven other previously announced states—Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Utah. The news comes on the heels of Apple’s announcement that it will provide digital car keys for the 2022 Kia Niro, 2022 Genesis G90, and all-electric 2022 Genesis GV60.

Exhaust: It is not surprising that as technology improves, the automotive world is moving closer and closer to a digital existence than an analog one. However, while the features announced by Apple seem to offer a more seamless way to live, the move to a digital lifestyle may ultimately get more complicated. For example, if Apple decides to stop supporting the digital key feature on older phones, users will be forced to upgrade. And there are always unforeseen problems as software ages—like GPS system failure, which automakers have not exactly been quick to fix.

Wraith no more

Intake: Rolls-Royce has stopped taking orders for the Wraith coupe and Dawn droptop as the British luxury carmaker gears up for the launch of its all-electric Spectre. The U.S. order books had already closed, but now Rolls won’t be accepting build requests from anywhere in the world. The final cars will be delivered in 2023, shortly before the Spectre glides in. Although the Spectre isn’t a like-for-like replacement for the Wraith, it will be the only coupe in the Rolls-Royce range. A convertible version will follow soon after.

Exhaust: It’s the beginning of the end for combustion engines at Rolls-Royce. From 2023 onwards, the only new vehicles to be unveiled by the brand will be electric and its purring V-12 and V-8 engines will be completely phased out by 2030.

Jeep teases military-themed Easter Jeep Safari concept

Intake: Jeep doesn’t give us much here besides an image and a brief bit of text, including the following: “This year, the Jeep design team is hard at work on an off-roader that pays homage to a Jeep vehicle of the past. Hint, it blends military grit and determination with 4xe electric vehicle technology.”

Exhaust: The photo, combined with what little information we can glean from the photo, gives us an idea of what to expect when this concept is revealed next month at Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah. The RU31-CON/4XE lettering clearly indicates a hybrid powertrain. Our best guess is that the “military grit” points to a homage to the Willys M38A1, from which the CJ-5 evolved. We admit that “M38A1” is a bit of a stretch from the “31” in the hood lettering, so we may be way off. The number could have something to do with the output or the range of the 4XE powertrain or something else entirely. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait. 

USPS doubles the number of EVs in its replacement fleet

Intake: The U.S. Postal Service announced that it has ordered more than 10,000 new electric delivery trucks, up from the 5000 the agency had initially planned to purchase as part of its $2.98 billion order of 50,000 new delivery vehicles from Oshkosh Corp. In an elongated, publicly scrutinized evaluation to determine the percentage of EVs vs. ICE-powered vehicles in the fleet, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy says the agency’s decision to purchase 10,019 EVs “makes good sense from an operational and financial perspective.” The change comes after the Biden administration criticized the Postal Service’s technical analysis of emissions impacts and argued it overestimated the long-term cost of EVs.

Exhaust: Somehow, we knew this discussion was not over. First, the USPS pumped the brakes on its original plan to electrify only 10 percent of its new fleet. Then it finalized those plans in defiance of the Biden administration’s objections. Now it has doubled the number of planned EVs to be built. Will the compromise be enough to put this environmental tug-o-war to rest? Likely not. Stay tuned. 

Denzel Washington’s 911 takes flight on BaT

Intake: A 1997 Porsche 911 Turbo originally ordered by Oscar-winner Denzel Washington has already soared past $300,000 on auction site Bring a Trailer. The black-on-black 993 has been owned by the actor since new and is specified with 18-inch Turbo Twist wheels, xenon headlights, a fixed rear wing, power seats, and climate control. There are crimson (tide?) brake calipers and, with a clean CarFax report and a 18K-mile odometer reading, the car appears in magnificent (seven!) condition.

Exhaust: The price of this struck 911 looks Unstoppable. The auction ends in four days, so you’ll need Courage Under Fire to stand a chance of winning before you’re Out of Time.

Virginia joins North Carolina in banning Carolina Squat

Intake: Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed SB777 into law yesterday, which bans trucks and SUVs modified with the “Carolina Squat,” a style in which the rear end of the vehicle is lowered and the front end is hoisted skyward. Virginia now joins North Carolina in banning the modification, which stipulates that the difference between the front bumper height and the rear bumper height be no more than 4 inches. Opponents of the modification argue that the squat obscures road visibility and can result in increased risk of a crash: Youngkin was joined at the bill’s signing by a family who lost their son to a crash with a vehicle that had been modified with the Carolina Squat.

Exhaust: Your feelings on the stylistic delicacy of the Carolina Squat notwithstanding, does regulating a modification like this going to change anything significant? The parameters for a truck’s legality—that 4-inch difference—seem awfully subjective, and with suspension tech such as airbags that can raise and lower a truck with the flip of a switch, some might find a way around this. Does a tape measure become standard kit for traffic enforcement now?

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The 1980s were a time of turmoil in Detroit. Uncertainty about gas prices began to drive design decisions, as did cost-cutting, which was necessary in order for the Big Three to compete with the Japanese automakers suddenly gaining traction in the American market. Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors began to turn away from tradition and embrace more advanced technologies such as electronic fuel injection and computer-assisted design to maintain their market share.

Front-wheel drive was also front and center for the Big Three. Each was intrigued by its promise of more compact packaging and improved fuel efficiency. Chrysler was all-in, pegging its future on the K-car platform and its countless derivatives, but even though Ford and General Motors were a little slower at transitioning their respective lineups to front-drive, by the mid-’80s the drivetrain layout dominated American showrooms.

No model was too sacred for front-wheel-drive conversion, as Ford demonstrated by abandoning decades of heritage and replacing the Mustang with a front-drive, wedge-shaped coupe codenamed the ST-16. The enmity of existing Mustang owners plus internal opposition eventually spelled doom for a pony-badged model that couldn’t fit a V-8, and the ST-16 project was eventually released as the Ford Probe.

The Mustang/Probe debacle played out in a fairly public manner. Automotive media placed it front and center in the late ’80s, but less advertised were GM’s front-drive schemes for its vaunted F-body Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird.

It was called the “GM-80” project—and it was a total failure.

Future-proofing the F-body

A front-wheel-drive replacement for the F-body had been axed at the end of the 1970s. Not until development began for the fourth-gen Camaro and Firebird did GM seriously consider this option. The institutional momentum was there, since the majority of GM’s compact, mid-size, and full-size cars used various FWD platforms by the mid-1980s.

As with Ford and its pre-Probe Mustang experiment, GM wagered that front-drive replacements for its muscle cars would minimize production costs and allow for a more lightweight chassis and body. GM even considered using steel for the frame and composite plastic for the panels. Chevrolet and Pontiac were similarly intrigued by the potential of adding all-wheel drive to the mix, a feature General Motors had been experimenting with on other small coupe concepts like the Beretta.

As if front-wheel drive weren’t a big enough departure from the F-body template, GM had no plans to build an eight-cylinder version of any GM 80 model. Instead, the General would rely on its upcoming, dual-overhead cam “Quad 4” four-cylinder engine, intended for the spiciest compacts from Oldsmobile and Chevrolet. If higher-ups deemed the 150-to-180 horsepower promised by that motor to be insufficient, engineers planned a 3.4-liter V-6 good for 200 horses. Their hope? That a lighter platform paired with high-revving four- and six-cylinder engines would close the gap to the torque-happy V-8s of the past.

Styling suited to the future?

From nose to tail, the GM-80 versions of the Camaro and Firebird were shorter than their predecessors. From our vantage point today, they are remarkably similar to evolutions of the fourth-generation, rear-drive F-body that arrived nearly a decade later. The Camaro especially hewed close to the production car that debuted in 1993 on the final iteration of the F-body chassis. The GM-80 Pontiac, not so much.

Hovering in the background was a more unusual implementation of the GM-80 that repackaged the platform’s tidy dimensions into those of a luxurious GT car, which traded a hatchback for a traditional trunk and wore a flatter front end. Only blurry photos of test mules exist today to show what this model—which some speculate was a “touring coupe” for the Oldsmobile brand—looked like.

Members of Oldsmobile’s design studios and performance divisions from that era who were contacted for this story had no memory of such a vehicle existing, but they did confirm that at least one in-house studio had been assigned to the GM-80 project.

Too expensive, too heavy, too dangerous

Stunted and neutered, the GM-80 replacement for the F-body was becoming more like the Pontiac Fiero in terms of performance and attitude than the small-block Camaro and Firebird whose tire tracks it was intended to fill. In some ways, this Fiero-adjacent personality was all part of GM’s plan. At the time, the Fiero was produced in a plant that was designed for 350,000 units a year but operating far below that figure. After Fiero’s first-year peak (136,840), sales dwindled until GM tapped the GM-80 platform to absorb the plant’s extra capacity.

Unfortunately, as with so many programs initiated at General Motors during the 1980s, the GM-80 was a victim of technological overreach. Engineers could not produce the weight savings needed to ensure the platform’s performance. The composite body panels were heavier and more expensive to produce than originally hoped. Even worse, their heft didn’t translate into safety: The GM-80 also failed to pass crash tests. Development costs quickly spiraled out of control at perhaps the worst possible time for GM, which was in the midst of yet another budget crisis and unable to absorb the investment required to execute the GM-80 properly. By late 1986, chairman Roger Smith had canceled the entire effort.

One more dead end

Almost none of the GM-80 made its way into any of the parallel small-car programs underway at GM. It was largely a dead end, one that cost General Motors tens of millions of dollars and played a role in delaying the third-gen F-body’s replacement (GM-80 Camaros and Firebirds were tapped for 1990 release rather than the 1993 on-sale date eventually seen by the fourth-gens). The front-drive platform’s failure also helped to doom the Fiero; without the GM-80 to boost production totals, GM couldn’t justify operating the Fiero plant at 11 percent capacity (30,000 units).

Would it actually have been worse for Chevrolet and Pontiac to double-down on the GM-80 and exit the muscle car market entirely? It’s likely. While the Camaro and Firebird twins were never able to match the sales fervor associated with the Mustang, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which front-wheel drive (or even all-wheel drive) compacts would have generated enough sales among the muscle-car faithful to maintain the models’ popularity.

Ultimately, GM-80 was a problem without a good solution, a situation that was sadly common at General Motors during the 1980s. The front-wheel drive Camaro-that-wasn’t joins the Oldsmobile diesel, the X-car debacle, and the Cadillac 8-6-4 variable displacement engine as examples of the company attempting to bring to market technologies and features well before they were ready for prime time.

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U.K. shop releases the 250 GTO schematics that Ferrari never did

Intake: Britain’s GTO Engineering has done something Ferrari never did by releasing a full set of technical schematic drawings for the 1959 through ’64 250 Series. (And on Maranello’s 75th anniversary year, too.) The shop, famous for its restoration work and its 250 SWB recreation, possessed drawings for more than 50 different Ferraris, but the 250 was missing. Using the firm’s scanning and CAD skills, GTO Engineering created a set of 33 drawings from scratch, detailing hundreds of components across 80 pages of a coffee table-worthy book which is now on sale online for around $130 plus shipping.

Mark Lyon, founder and managing director of GTO Engineering, says: “I remember, before we embarked upon this project, adapting the schematics for a Ferrari 330 with a pencil and trying to match up the part numbers. It was a real mess, and only made sense to me. Ever since that day I’ve wanted to be able to create from scratch our own technical drawings for the 250 series. There’s also a key sense of achievement in that every component within the schematics, matches a valid part number that we can sell to our customers.”

Exhaust: Whether you’re brave enough to be getting your wrenches out on a Ferrari 250 or just looking for some engineering art, this project from GTO Engineering looks like a worthy purchase. It’s also another testament to GTO Engineering’s dedication to the Ferrari marque, whose vintage offerings it supports with hand-built replacement parts. Somehow, the firm has even found time to develop its own V-12-powered, modern-day riff on the GTO.

Five years and $124M later, Honda completes first full-scale wind tunnel in U.S.

Intake: Honda just opened a $124M wind tunnel testing facility in East Liberty, Ohio, that can test vehicles at speeds up to 193 mph—perhaps not necessary for the next-gen CR-V, but vital for the firm’s high-performance offerings and for its race cars. Along with the massive fans capable of generating winds that represent such high speeds, the facility also features a rolling road belt system to simulate the road noise generated from the wheels contacting the tarmac. The facility features 556 high-tech microphones and cameras to pinpoint areas that generate wind noise, which Honda will focus on reducing with its forthcoming electric vehicles. It’s Honda’s first full-scale facility of its kind here in the states, though the company has three such tunnels in Japan and another facility in the U.S. that can test 40 percent–scale models. Honda also plans to offer access to the facility to other firms for testing, just as it does for crash testing at the Transportation Research Center, an independent proving ground owned by Honda also located in East Liberty.Three of the other full-size automotive wind tunnels in North America are also in the Midwest—specifically, in Michigan: Ford’s $200 M facility in Allen Park, Stellantis’ in Auburn Hills, and GM’s in Warren. Though not affiliated with an OEM, the wind tunnel in Ontario Tech University’s Automotive Center for Excellence can also simulate different weather conditions.

Exhaust: Honda knows that reducing wind noise will be paramount to creating to serene driving experience that’s essential to an EV’s proposition (Honda wants to sell zero-emission vehicles exclusively by 2040). With no engine and exhaust notes to outshout the wind, Honda will lean on this facility to deliver the incremental gains to shush the moving air. EVs’ prioritization of aerodynamic efficiency can result in some ovoid machines—just look Mercedes’ EQS electric flagship sedan—but such lozenge-like silhouettes are necessary to optimize cruising range. That said, if teasers for the new HR-V compact SUV are any indication, we’re still holding out hope that Honda can produce visually enticing hardware.

VW injects $7.1B into North American–based vehicle development, production

Intake: VW is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to EVs. The company just announced a $7.1B investment in North American development and production of batteries and vehicles. That sum rivals Ford’s $7B commitment to product electric F-150s in Stanton, Tennessee and batteries in central Kentucky. Ford and VW use the same South Korean supplier: SK Innovation, which is attempting to finish construction of two battery plants in Georgia after LG Tech won an import ban on its rival importer from the United States Trade Commission after suing for misappropriation of trade secrets. (Ford and VW were excepted from the ban.) Internal-combustion models will begin to drop from VW’s portfolio beginning this year as the manufacturer aims to eliminate combustion engines by early next decade. Additional electric SUVs are headed stateside in 2026 to join the ID. 4, slated to begin production in this year and the reborn electric Microbus (ID. Buzz), due in 2024.

While VW is earmarking $22M for a Battery Engineering Lab in Chattanooga, and a “Center of Excellence” there and in Belmont, California, it’s unclear from this most recent announcement exactly what VW is planning to do about the battery packs and what role SK Innovation will play. What we do know: Motors will be built in Mexico by “the middle of the decade,” and the bodies and interiors of North American-market vehicles will be designed and engineered stateside by 2030.

Exhaust: VW is betting that, in eight years, 55 percent of U.S. sales will be all-electric. Given that BEVs currently comprise less than three percent of new-vehicle sales, according to the Department of Transportation, VW’s prediction seems par for the optimistic course. What is encouraging is VW’s focus on local engineering and design in addition to production. The latter saves on importation costs, but together the former two promise to give the U.S. more input on the VWs sold here.

GM to export “iconic” vehicles to China

Intake: Barely three months after China lifted its requirement that all foreign automakers partner with a local brand, GM has announced a new business unit taking advantage of the opening. As GM president Mark Reuss tells CNN Business, this “startup” within GM will introduce “iconic” vehicles that China hasn’t yet seen, including “a pretty aspirational Cadillac.” Other specifics are scarce, but the selection will include both electric and internal-combustion models.

Exhaust: We initially thought that Reuss was referring to the upcoming Escalade V as the Cadillac in question, but the CT5-V Blackwing surely is an alternate possibility. Could an imported buffet of new-to-market, high-luxury vehicles give Chinese customers a taste for American-flavored products? Imagine the C8 Corvette, which is currently unavailable in China, becoming the country’s middle-class, gotta-have-it supercar. By volume, China is GM’s largest market. In 2021, GM delivered 2.2 million vehicles to the U.S. but 2.9 million to China. Behind the 1.4 million vehicles produced under GM’s local partner Wuling, which included China’s best-selling EV that year, Buick was the strongest GM brand. (Wuling is one of GM’s 10 joint ventures in China.) However, Cadillac’s sales report includes some interesting details: China preferred the CT5 sedan to all other Caddys, even the XT6 three-row SUV.

Suzuki is set to start selling flying cars

Intake: Suzuki has a signed a deal with Japanese flying car startup SkyDrive to work together on developing and marketing its vertical takeoff and landing vehicle. SkyDrive has already built a single-seater prototype and plans a two-seater craft that could fly for 30 minutes at up to 62 mph at a height of over 1500 feet. SkyDrive is backed by several other big Japanese companies including NEC and Eneos and aims to launch a flying-car taxi service in Osaka in 2025.

Exhaust: The arrangement with Suzuki focuses on opening the Indian market to SkyDrive, where Suzuki holds around 50 percent of the car market and is investing over $1 billion in a factory to produce EVs and batteries. Flying cars would become Suzuki’s fourth mobility business after cars, motorcycles, and outboard motors.

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Porsche schemes to take the 911 off-road

Intake: Spy photographers recently spotted an essentially production-ready Porsche 911 Safari out completing some winter testing. From the images, we can see that this prototype sports an increased ride height, new front and rear bumpers that appear mildly tucked to increase ground clearance at either end, and large wheels shrouded by plastic wheel arches. There’s speculation that rather than call it a 911 Safari, Porsche will dub this the 911 Dakar, no doubt a homage to its many years racing advanced machinery in the grueling desert rally.

Exhaust: From Gemballa to Singer to well-known specialty shops, everyone’s been going crazy for the 911 safari recipe recently. Clearly, Porsche sees no reason why the aftermarket should have all the fun. As to its official name, consider this a counterpoint to the Dakar label: Porsche recently debuted a slightly lifted, plastic-clad version of the Taycan called the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. Could this 911 don the Cross Turismo sub-brand and preview a niche lineup of cars aimed at your local dirt roads? We’re into it.

GM earmarks $7B investment for Michigan-based EV production

Intake: Brace yourself for some big numbers. GM has just announced the largest-ever single investment in its history: $7B to invest in electric-vehicle production in its home state of Michigan. The eye-popping allocation will be funneled into three separate ventures: $4B to convert GM’s Orion Assembly plant (located ~40 miles north of Detroit) from Bolt to electric truck production (specifically, the electric Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra), $2.6B to found a new Ultium Cells battery plant in Lansing, Michigan’s capital; and the remaining $510 million or so to upgrade a pair Lansing-adjacent plants. Lansing Delta Township Assembly will get retooled for the next-gen Traverse and Enclave, and Lansing Grand River Assembly, which currently builds vehicles based on the GM Alpha platform (Cadillac’s CT4 and CT5 sedans plus the Camaro), will receive unspecified “upgrades.” No word on a BEV Camaro, for now.

Exhaust: GM is betting big. Not only does the General want half of all its North American manufacturing capacity to be slated for electric vehicles by 2030, it wants to be the EV market leader in North America by 2025. Pickups (plus the Hummer SUV), and a second generation of the Bolt EV will form the vanguard of its product offerings. Will they take the U.S. by storm? You, the customer, will be the judge.

EV evangelist Mate Rimac wants the next Bugatti to be ICE-driven

Intake: Bugatti Rimac boss Mate Rimac may be the maker of the world’s wildest electric vehicles, but he says that he is actually “pushing for a combustion engine” for the Chiron’s successor. In a video statement the CEO adds that he believes there is a future for internal combustion at Bugatti and that the world will be “astonished” by the company’s next model. That’s not to say the Chiron’s replacement won’t feature some form of electrification to go beyond the 1577 hp of the current Super Sport 300+ but fans will be reassured to know that the wonderful W-16 will live on.

Exhaust: Bugatti’s shift to full electrification is inevitable but who can fail to be excited about one last huzzah for one of the most incredible combustion engines the world has ever seen—Bugatti’s eight-liter, quad-turbo W-16?

KTM wants its track-weapon X-Bow to hit the streets

Intake: The KTM X-Bow GTX is targeted as the ultimate track weapon for those in pursuit of the last tenth on a closed circuit. In a recent Instagram post, the Austrian brand teased a shift for the model by using the hashtag “hitting the streets.” Taking a track focused machine and making it street legal has its own set of hurdles, but also comes with some bonuses including opening the model to compete in GT classes.

Exhaust: KTM’s GTX is not alone in the hyper-track focused segment, and KTM is likely to learn something that rival brands Radical and Westfield already know: It is tough to make a race-track special into a street car. Internet commenters will ask for a no-compromises race car on the street, but it will be interesting to see whether the KTM balances the two different tasks any better than others that tried before it.

The first battery-powered Bentley will arrive in 2025

Intake: Bentley has confirmed the timeline for its first fully-electric vehicle. As part of an announcement of a $3.4 billion investment in sustainability over the next ten years the British luxury car maker said that it will enter the market with a battery-electric Bentley in three years’ time. Bentley says that this will “mark a significant moment in Bentley’s long and illustrious history” and is a “critical step” in the company’s Beyond100 strategy which will see Bentley become all-electric and end-to-end carbon neutral by the year 2030. CEO Adrian Hallmark added, “Our aim is to become the benchmark not just for luxury cars or sustainable credentials but the entire scope of our operations. Securing production of our first BEV in Crewe is a milestone moment for Bentley, and the UK, as we plan for a long-term sustainable future in Crewe.”

Exhaust: Bentley’s take on a new kind of sustainable luxury goes beyond just carbon emissions. The Crewe plant is already carbon neutral but plans for a Dream Factory will ultimately see it become a zero waste facility, so Bentley buyers can keep driving with a clean conscience.

The post Porsche’s off-roading 911, GM earmarks $7B for Michigan, Bugatti’s not done with ICE appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Now available online, GM’s parts catalog eliminates the middle man

Intake: Much like its digital retailing efforts with used vehicles, General Motors now turns its efforts on a customer facing, e-commerce tool to sell its parts. The big perk is that customers can buy online and choose either at-home delivery or pick-up at the nearest participating General Motors dealership that has the part in stock. Customers can also take advantage of GM’s rewards program through this website, just like any transaction at the dealership. Not only are traditional parts/accessories available, but so are over-the-air digital features (think upgrades for Cadillac Super Cruise) and technology subscriptions are available at these digital storefronts. Follow these links for Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC, respectively.

Exhaust: Ever had to wait on hold for an excessively long time when calling your local dealership’s parts department? Wait no more with this new website, as it promises to lighten the burdens of dealership employees while letting the customer find pricing and availability with far more efficiency. GM says its website is “built on one of three platforms that form the foundation of GM’s digital commerce transformation,” which implies that multiple third-party vendors may be involved. If so, odds are the tool Revolution Parts made for Mercedes-Benz could be a sneak peek of the goods headed GM’s way.

Floodgates of Dodge’s Direct Connection performance parts open March 9

Intake: The next chapter of Dodge’s 24 Months of Muscle Calendar is coming into focus. After announcing the contents of the Dodge Direct Connection performance parts catalog late last year, we now know the official green-light date: March 9. Dodge says that print and online versions of the new catalog will be made available. March 9 is also when the Power Brokers dealer network will come online as in-person resources for those seeking to drop ETs at the strip. There’s also a new job opening within Dodge for a unique kind of brand ambassador—Chief Donut Maker. Details for how to apply will be revealed tomorrow, but the perks list sounds killer—$150,000 salary, Dodge wardrobe, special business cards, and your choice of a high-po Dodge vehicle as a “company car.”

Exhaust: Those pining for more muscle now have a date to circle on their calendars. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: If you’re going to close the door on glorious V-8 muscle, you’d best do it with an unapologetic bang and not with a whimper. Hell yeah, Dodge.

Porsche Design gets meta with limited-edition 911 Targa

Intake: In 1972 Ferdinand Alexander Porsche designed a rather swish chronograph and founded Porsche Design with his brother Hans-Peter, a spin-off business that would take Porsche style beyond the automobile into lifestyle products. Now, 50 years on, Porsche Design has gone full circle to produce a car. Actually, make that two cars. The first, dubbed the 911 50Y Porsche Design, is based on the 2022 Targa 4GTS and features a simple all-black exterior, while the interior gets Sport-Tex checked seat panels and a red second hand for the Subsecond clock in the dash. Porsche will build 750 examples of the 50Y model, but its second celebratory vehicle is a one-off.

Taking a 1972 2.4 Targa as a starting point, “The vision was to produce a historical counterpart to the new 911 Edition 50Y Porsche Design,” says Ulrike Lutz, head of Porsche Classic. “With the aid of the new Sonderwunsch [special wishes] programme, we were able to implement the idea of a unique pair of vehicles. The job of the designers and works restorers was to carefully transfer the specifications of the new car to the classic.” The ’72 car had its engine and chassis upgraded to S specification, and was painted in tribute to Porsche’s first chronograph. The bodywork is black with platinum side stripes and Porsche Design lettering and the Targa roll bar has been laser-finished in a platinum satin instead of the original stainless steel. It will be exhibited as part of a special show at the Porsche Museum, and isn’t for sale.

Exhaust: Both cars look great, but this is all getting a bit meta. The design company built to cash in on the auto brand’s fine work now has a car of its own. Still, if you’ve got the Porsche Design sunglasses, the Porsche Design pen, the Porsche Design watch, and the Porsche Design polo shirt, you may as well pick up a Porsche Design Porsche.

Glickenhaus Baja Boot will kick off hydrogen racing

Intake: Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus will field a hydrogen-powered Boot at this year’s Baja 1000 desert race in November. It will be three years since the off-road buggy made its debut and won its class under combustion power, but 2022 will mark the firm’s first zero-emissions Baja bash. Glickenhaus says the fuel-cell vehicle has a range of more than 600 miles thanks to that huge H2 tank on the rear bed. If all goes to plan Glickenhaus says it will go on to build a road-legal version and develop its own fuelling infrastructure. “Our truck is something you can drive to the Baja 1000, race 1000 miles, and drive home. The Baja is a brutal race, the longest continuous off-road race globally. There is not a battery-electric vehicle in the world that can successfully run the Baja 1000,” says Glickenhaus.

Exhaust: Jim Glickenhaus is nothing if not ambitious. He also has a track record of doing what he sets out to, going up against the big guns in off-road and endurance racing. “When people see this vehicle race the Baja 1000 and finish, with zero emissions, it can be safely driven over the most intense landscapes and refueled in the middle of the desert, with our own infrastructure, that will change the world,” he says.

Something massive Toyota’s way comes

Intake: Toyota dropped a shadow-shrouded image today previewing a large addition to its SUV lineup. While there’s not a ton (ha) to go on here, the rear door and expansive sheetmetal aft of it imply a large two-row SUV, or something with three rows and a cargo area on the smaller side. There’s no word from Toyota about when we’ll see the full product, but it says, “A clear picture will come into view soon.”

Exhaust: We’re betting this is the first image of the new Sequoia, Toyota’s truck-based mega-ute. After a few days in the outgoing Sequoia TRD Pro, we can confirm that this nameplate is plenty ready for a new model. Expect the Tundra’s twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 to provide the grunt. But since dreaming is free, could Toyota be cooking up a mic-drop revival of the Land Cruiser nameplate? The meteoric rise in overlanding and off-road-inclined vehicles in today’s market might just precipitate the conditions needed to get one of our favorite icons back stateside. One can only hope.

Ford patents new tailgate

Intake: Automotive News spotted an interesting patent filed by Ford that shows a central door that pivots along a vertical axis, giving truck owners a new way to access their cargo.

Exhaust: Ford has been using a traditional folding tailgate since, well,  forever. Its deployable bed step seems to have been the biggest development of late, and it kicked off innovation from its two main competitors. This new option looks to counter Ram’s Multi-Function tailgate and GM’s MultiPro/Multi-Flex tailgate that both give buyers several ways to access the bed and use the tailgate as a tool. Ford’s center-access option seems like it would be most useful when tied to a shell that also used a center door. 

The post GM’s parts catalog goes online, Glickenhaus braves Baja with hydrogen, new Sequoia brews appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Back when the World’s Fair was the best way to peer into the future and learn about cutting-edge technological and scientific advances from around the globe, General Motors expanded upon the idea and took its show on the road. GM’s “Parade of Progress” featured huge buses—eight in the beginning and 12 in later years—that went on three extended tours of the country from 1936 to ’56 and left a lasting impression on those who saw them.

GM’s self-contained display and transport vehicles featured massive side doors that opened to reveal portable stages and exhibits about everything from jet engines to televisions. The buses were staffed by some 60 recent college graduates, who gave presentations and took questions from the crowd.

According to a 1953 newsreel, “Behind the gleaming panels of those Futurliners are wonders to behold—mechanical, electrical, and chemical exhibits that will amaze, amuse, and entertain millions in the months ahead.”

The idea originated at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair, when legendary GM research guru Charles F. Kettering attended the event and wondered how the idea could be packaged and taken to the people. Kettering’s vision became a reality in 1936, when GM launched a traveling “circus of science” that demonstrated how industrial research improved the American way of life “through better products and processes.”

The Parade of Progress was expanded in 1940, with Harley Earl overseeing the design of a dozen new custom haulers. Assembled by Fisher Body, each Futurliner rode on a 248-inch wheelbase chassis built by Yellow Truck & Coach Manufacturing. The haulers were 8 feet wide and 33 feet long, and each weighed nearly 12 tons. They had dual wheels front and rear, and the driver sat high above the ground in a central “cockpit” accessed by a spiral stairway. Power came from a 400-cubic-inch, six-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed manual transmission.

Two months after the second tour ended in 1941, the bombing of Pearl Harbor threw America into World War II and sidelined the Parade of Progress until 1952, when GM president Harlow Curtice recommissioned the caravan.

Refurbished, slightly modified in appearance, and converted from diesel to gasoline power, the Futurliners returned to the road in 1953 and toured the U.S. and Canada for three years. By July 1956, however, the crowds had dwindled—perhaps the popularity of TV, one of the caravan’s early exhibits, had something to do with it—and the Parade of Progress closed. GM gave two Futurliners to the Michigan State Police to use as safety education vehicles; the others were sold to businesses.

Nine of the 12 buses still exist; only three have been fully restored. One of those sold for $4 million at Barrett-Jackson in 2006. Perhaps the best-known example, however, is number 10, which was used by Dreisbach & Sons Cadillac in Detroit following its time in the Parade of Progress. In 1992, Chicago collector Joe Bortz donated No. 10 to the National Automotive and Truck Museum of the United States (NATMUS) in Auburn, Indiana. The bus sat idle for seven years before Michigan automotive enthusiast Don Mayton assembled a dedicated group of volunteers to restore it.

Beginning in 1999, “it sort of took over my life for a few years,” Mayton jokes in a video commemorating the Futurliner’s addition to the National Historic Vehicle Register in 2015. In reality, the restoration took seven long years, but the team did a skillful and thorough job of returning the bus to its former Parade of Progress glory.

In the video, Mayton tears up as he shares the story of a man who remembered being amazed by the Parade of Progress as a child. Decades before television and the internet made the world a much smaller place, the Futurliner showed Americans what could be. To many, it was an unforgettable experience.

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Porsche patent puts a new spin on electric turbos

Intake: A patent application filed by Porsche provides a new spin on turbocharging. The system has no less than three turbines, but they work together in a rather novel way. Two small spinners are places in the exhaust system and, rather than providing boost, they’re used to generate electricity. That juice is then deployed to power a motor driving a compressor which feeds the engine. This means that the amount of boost supplied is completely independent of engine speed, while the motor that powers it doesn’t sap any energy from the combustion engine, since it’s driven by waste gasses.

Exhaust: Electrically powered compressors have been used before—in the Mercedes AMG E53, for example—but the way Porsche is proposing to generate that electricity is new. Alongside its EV plans Porsche is pushing e-fuels as a way to keep the combustion engine, and driving enjoyment, alive. This turbocharging innovation could be added to the mix.

GM launches CarBravo, gives hell to Carvana

Intake: General Motors is taking a page from Carvana’s online retail success with a nation-wide service to sell used vehicles. Given the name CarBravo and bestowed with a smile-inducing logo, the digital retailing platform offers the used vehicles of their franchised dealerships, regardless of the inventory’s affiliation with GM. The program is set to launch this spring and leverages the sales and service support of their dealer network. CarBravo met with positive impressions in its pilot stage, and GM dealers are enrolling with the program as we speak.

Exhaust: It’s great to see an established automaker take its clout to the highly profitable, shockingly well-hyped world of used cars. To wit, Carvana’s digital retailing platform (and eye-catching vending machines situated on major highways) currently garner it a stock price roughly triple that of General Motors. Considering Carvana’s inability to title vehicles in a series of high-profile incidents (whereby the State of Florida officially threatened to revoke its dealer license at the end of this month) perhaps leveraging a network of trained retailers has merit. The remaining concerns center around getting full participation from GM franchises and ensuring that CarBravo itself isn’t conflicting with the one-stop shopping tools already present at dealer groups with dissimilar brands (such as Asbury Automotive’s Clicklane or Group 1 Automotive’s Acceleride). Both issues are likely trivial, as it doesn’t matter how dealership inventory gets sold, as long as every piece of software cost-effectively helps move the metal.

A Ferrari frenzy is coming to RM Sotheby’s in Paris

Intake: RM Sotheby’s Paris sale on February 2 will see a collection of 28 Ferraris go under the hammer, all without reserves. The cars come from French racer Marcel Petitjean, and date from 1959 to 1989, and there’s also a smattering of parts and automobilia thrown in. The headline-making sales are bound to come from a 1985 288 GTO, which the auctioneers anticipate will sell between €2.4 and €2.6 million ($2.7M–$3M), a 1966 275 GTB/4 estimated at up to €2 million ($2.3M), and a 1959 250 GT Series II Cabriolet which is expected to fetch up to €1.1M ($1.3M). However, there could be a few bargains to be had as well, with estimates as low as €35,000 ($40,100) for a 1987 Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet, a 1975 Dino 208 GT4 and a 1984 400i. A €10,000 ($11,400) Ferrari F1 Go-Kart and a €20-30,000 ($23,000–$34,000) Daytona Junior also look like fun—and rather more affordable than the Testa Rossa J we drove recently.

Exhaust: The first major Ferrari sale of the year could well set the tone for Prancing Horse prices in 2022. Want more hearty auction coverage after this amuse-bouche? Check out Hagerty Insider, our online website dedicated to analyzing the collector car market. 

Honda’s next HR-V looks … good?

Intake: Honda has shared two wintery renderings of the upcoming 2023 HR-V, the company’s smallest crossover for sale in North America. A drastically remodeled new face and a new greenhouse are on display thanks to two perspectives. This shows the HR-V’s lights and grille to be more distinct than the current brand look shared across cars and crossovers.

Exhaust: While renderings tend to paint in the best possible light, we like what we see so far. The fascia is far more athletic than that of the current HR-V, which is a bit dowdy. As for the rear three-quarter look—is it just us, or is there a hint of Porsche Macan influence? If Honda’s most affordable crossover manages to look this good in the flesh, the Japanese brand will have another hit on its hands.

Honda stirs but does not shake 2022 moto lineup

Intake: Honda is a brand that offers motorcycles in just about segment and for 2022 it’s giving updates to bikes in three of the most popular categories—adventure, sport, and cruiser. The Africa Twin comes in two trims but for the upcoming model year, the gap between the two closes slightly, as the standard model will now be equipped with the same rear carrier as the more distance-focused Adventure Sports ES. The standard trim will also get a shorter windscreen to improve visibility. The CBR1000RR, on the other hand, gets a light refresh to slot it in as the more affordable performance offering compared to the out-and-out, track-attack CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Finally, the Rebel gains a new matte silver color option to keep the entry-level cruiser interesting for new and experienced riders alike.

Exhaust: While Honda’s lineup rarely boasts the most technologically advanced bikes, the brand is buoyed by a reputation for building reliable products that deliver engaging riding experiences. None of these 2022 updates are radical, but, as they say—if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The base machines themselves are solid enough that minimal changes are plenty to keep these bikes competitive in their respective market segments.

Does supercharged V-8 goodness loom on the Escalade’s horizon?

Intake: A spy video captured a camouflaged but easily identifiable Cadillac Escalade test mule and the exhaust tips and exhaust note both point to a high-performance V-8. Considering the Escalade is currently equipped with GM’s most powerful naturally aspirated pushrod V-8, logic would say this will be a version of the supercharged LT4 that produced between 650 and 668 hp since its debut in the C7 Corvette Z06.

Exhaust: The market for high-power and high-dollar luxury SUVs has seemingly never been stronger, we’re only surprised it has taken this long for Cadillac to put a supercharged V-8 into an Escalade. With the upcoming Hummer SUV on the horizon and other full-size electric SUVs sure to follow, this may mark the last peak of internal-combustion Escalades.

Liberty Walk dresses up an NSX-based 2000s oddball for Tokyo

Intake: No Tokyo Auto Salon would be complete without an appearance from famous (infamous?) Japanese tuner and widebody-kit-maker Liberty Walk. The shop’s project are always provocative, but this time Wataru Kato picked a truly strange canvas: The Mitsuoka Orochi. No, not Mitsubishi… this 2000s-era Japanese sports car is based on the NSX platform but, strangely, doesn’t share its Honda engine. Instead, à la Lotus, Mitsuoka chose a Toyota V-6 to sit amidships. Misuoka didn’t do much to the engine, however, and despite a name derived from a mythical eight-headed Japanese dragon, this 233-hp sportster was no fire breather when stock. First shown in concept form in Tokyo in 2001, Liberty Walk is completing the circle with this be-winged, race-liveried creation. Hopefully they’ve worked a little magic on the powerplant, too. 

Exhaust: Sure, it looks like some deep-sea fish, and the name rolls off the tongue like wasabi—but we’re delighted to see Liberty Walk celebrating a weird 2000s oddball of Japanese automotive history alongside its usual fare of late-model exotics and reputable ’80s classics. In case you think the good ol’ U.S. never dreamed anything this weird … we raise you this ’99 Oldsmobile “4-4-2” show car.

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As soon as 2026, Congress could require in-car tech to stop intoxicated driving

Intake: Automakers are likely to soon receive another mandate from Congress. As part of the $1 trillion infrastructure package that the President is expected to sign soon, automobile manufacturers will be required, as early as 2026, to equip all new vehicles with monitoring systems designed to keep intoxicated persons from driving. Among the considerations are breathalyzer devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver’s blood-alcohol level exceeds the legal limit, and infrared cameras (which GM and others already use for driver monitoring related to driver-assistance features like SuperCruise) that monitor driver behavior and look for signs of inattentiveness. Alex Otte, national president of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, called the package the “single most important legislation” in the group’s history and said that it marks “the beginning of the end of drunk driving.” According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, each year 10,000 people are killed due to alcohol-related crashes in the U.S. The bill also requires automakers to install rear-seat reminders to alert parents if a child is left inadvertently in the back seat, a mandate that could begin by 2025.

Exhaust: It’s difficult to argue the value of any device that will mitigate drunk driving, but most drivers will balk at blowing into a breathalyzer every time they want to start their car. The camera-based monitoring system intrudes less into daily routine, but personal privacy concerns also loom large here. When detecting erratic behavior, the system is designed to first warn the driver, and if the behavior persists, the car will turn on its hazard lights, slow down, and pull to the side of the road. Will that technology work as intended? And if it does, what are the potential secondary consequences? It seems there is much in need of further ironing-out before any policy changes go into effect.

McLaren denies sale to Audi

Intake: Following an Autocar report that claimed Audi was purchasing McLaren, the British supercar firm is outright denying any pending change in ownership. Here’s McLaren’s comment:

“McLaren Group is aware of a news media report stating it has been sold to Audi. This is wholly inaccurate and McLaren is seeking to have the story removed.

McLaren’s technology strategy has always involved ongoing discussions and collaboration with relevant partners and suppliers, including other carmakers, however, there has been no change in the ownership structure of the McLaren Group.”

Reuters also reported on the possibility of a takeover, indicating that BMW was uninterested but Audi was “open to cooperation.”

Exhaust: McLaren has been working hard to shore up its financial position recently, attracting new investors and selling, then leasing back its hi-tech Woking base. It’s not hard to see how ownership under Audi would make long-term security more assured. For Audi, such a deal would theoretically see the German carmaker take over the whole McLaren Group and provide an entry into Formula 1, and would add McLaren Automotive to the Audi supercar stable alongside Lamborghini, with the VW Group also including Porsche and Bugatti-Rimac. This appears to be a false alarm, but it’s not hard to see some kind of change on the horizon in Woking.

Chip shortage casts chill over GM lineup

Intake: The chip shortage has forced automakers to a new low … literally. Automotive News paints a chilling picture: General Motors has temporarily stopped offering heated seats on many of its crossovers and full-size pickups because of wafer scarcity. Said vehicles include the Chevy Colorado, Blazer, Equinox, all Silverados and Traverses except High Country trims; the GMC Canyon and Terrain; and all Sierras and Acadias except the Denalis. It gets worse, too: these models will lose their ventilated seats and heated steering wheels, too. GM says it’s made a tradeoff, sacrificing the comfort of your rear in favor of three other features—for the pickups only—including digital temperature displays through the 2022 model year. (So you can shiver in your unheated thrones with full and complete awareness of the outside winter temperatures?) GM says it is exploring whether it can retrofit affected vehicles with the heated and ventilated seats later once parts become available.

Exhaust: According to a report from AutoPacific, heated seats are the most desired feature in a new car. For GM to slash this option from its best-selling products—and announce it at the very doorstep of winter—is mystifying. Out of all the crazy electronic nonsense in cars today, seat warmers got the chop? We can think of a few features we’d sooner live without. A digital temperature display, for one.

Rivian’s IPO hype continues, Musk chimes in

Intake: When Rivian went public last week, achieving a $90 billion debut, it made history as the largest IPO America had seen since Meta (née Facebook) in 2012. Trading on the EV-maker remains electric. Share prices continue to climb as of Monday, cresting $140 per share and heading higher. With this trajectory, Rivian’s share price threatens to double its 78 dollar-per-share market introduction in the coming days. Amid all the hype, rival Elon Musk cared enough to comment publicly, by providing some humble words of wisdom: “I hope they’re able to achieve high production & breakeven cash flow. That is the true test.” Musk continued, “There have been hundreds of automotive startups, both electric & combustion, but Tesla is the only American carmaker to reach high volume production & positive cash flow in past 100 years.”

Exhaust: We’re pretty sure Musk’s “hopes” are tongue-in-cheek, but he’s not wrong. It remains to be seen how Rivian will handle the hard road to profitability. However, what the Irvine, California-based company does have is a finished electric pickup drawing rave reviews and a billionaire backer of its own to boot. Amazon’s ~22-percent stake and last-mile arrangement gives Rivian stability and opportunity out of the gate in a realm that Tesla hasn’t yet touched. Is all the speculation worth its weight in EV-gold? Thus far, investors sure seem to think it is.

Champion driver and instructor Bob Bondurant dies

Intake: World Champion racing driver Bob Bondurant, who created a high-performance racing school that became a world-renowned destination for actors, died on November 12 in Paradise Valley, Arizona. He was 88. Bondurant has been inducted into 10 motorsports halls of fame, including the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003. He raced motorcycles as a teenager before switching to cars in 1958, and he eventually raced for the Shelby American, Ferrari, and Eagle teams. Racing for Shelby, he won the GT class at Le Mans in 1964, co-driving with fellow American Dan Gurney. He came up with the idea for a racing school after suffering a serious injury in 1967. He went on to teach an A-list of actors who needed to be proficient for racing movies; among them were James Garner, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Nicholas Cage, and Christian Bale.

Exhaust: Bob Bondurant was a legend, both on the track and as an instructor. Although the racing school he founded no longer carries his name—it became Radford Racing School earlier this year— Bondurant’s legacy will continue, especially when discussion turns to great racing movies and his historic victory at Le Mans.

Rossi retires in style

Intake: The Doctor Valentino Rossi ended his incredible 25-year racing career by taking tenth place in the Valencia Grand Prix. The 42 year-old Italian won the MotoGP World Championship seven times, after previously winning the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc titles, and is justifiably regarded as one of the greatest racers on two wheels the world has ever seen. Rossi beat his young teammate Andrea Dovizioso but wasn’t able to add to his 199 class podiums. After the checkered flag was taken by former-protege Francesco Bagnaia on a Ducati, Rossi took an emotional final lap of honor on his Yamaha. “This race victory is a present to Valentino,” said Bagnaia, who came through Rossi’s VR46 riders academy. “I want to dedicate this race to him and thank him for what he has done for us at the academy.”

Exhaust: What’s next for Vale? A move to four wheels seems likely, since Rossi has previously beaten rally legends Colin McRae and Didier Auriol at their own game and, more recently, dominated the Monza Masters in his Ford Fiesta WRC. He’s also one of only a few select outsiders to have tested a Formula 1 Ferrari. Whatever Formula the Doctor prescribes, we’ll be paying close attention.

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As the 1990s drew to a close, conditions were perfect for kicking off the SUV onslaught that changed the automotive industry forever. While we usually identify this era with more modestly proportioned models like the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the late ’90s also witnessed the birth of a more outrageous breed—the relatively short-lived monster sport-utility segment that produced some of the largest rigs ever to tread an American highway.

Fuel prices hovered near all-time lows, which meant that vehicle sizes began to swell. Enter models like the Ford Excursion, which in 1999 repurposed the Blue Oval’s heavy-duty pickup platform to create a three-row behemoth that towered above its also-enormous Expedition sibling. You even got a choice between V-10 and turbodiesel power.

The best example of the late-’90s rush towards plus-size proportions is the Hummer H2. Debuting for the 2003 model year, the H2 was a little late to the party but had several advantages over its big-boned rivals. Despite borrowing its mechanicals from the General Motors full-size truck bin, it co-opted its exterior styling from the iconic (yet not nearly as roadworthy) Hummer H1 built by GM subsidiary A.M. General. Marketed as a rugged off-road rig, the H2 double-dipped into the H1’s go-anywhere heritage and sold at a premium price.

All three of these elements—style, perceived capability, and prestige—gave the Hummer H2 a brief moment in the sun, scoring several solid years of sales before skyrocketing energy costs and an impending global recession took the wind out of the brand’s sales. By 2009 Hummer was history, a victim of GM’s bankruptcy reorganization as the company struggled to put together a lineup of affordable and efficient cars that appeared far more likely to survive the rough economic seas.

It’s tempting to see the Hummer brand as a blip, but the industry’s pivot towards efficient cars was equally short-lived. Today, the General and nearly every other automaker have remade their lineups almost entirely in the SUV’s image.

With big back in style, we started to wonder: How might Hummer have survived the market collapse? The nameplate has now been dusted off for a glamorous electric reboot in the form of the Hummer EV—but what might have happened, back in the 2000s, to ensure that the Hummer brand never needed a revival in the first place?

In a word: Competition.

Big boosted wagon

GM wasn’t the first to recognize that it could mine its glorious off-road past to cash in on its SUV future. Fresh off its merger the year before, in 1999 DaimlerChrysler presented the Dodge Power Wagon concept, a vehicle that proudly co-opted the heavy-duty reputation of its predecessor.

At the time, the industry was obsessed with old-school shapes. Volkswagen’s New Beetle and Plymouth’s Prowler were already setting precedent for nostalgic designs like the final-generation Ford Thunderbird and the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Penned by Dodge Truck senior designer Mark Allen, the Power Wagon was the first true example of retro writ large. Allen’s oversize concept managed to remain remarkably faithful to the original, flat-fendered version of the Dodge truck that had proven itself such a hardcore workhorse following World War II.

Despite the resemblance, the Power Wagon-redux towered over its postwar predecessor, and its interior traded utility for upscale luxury. These decisions indicated that Dodge intended the model to compete for the same high-end audience that Hummer would eventually command with the H2. Its two-passenger cabin was complemented by a storage area that could be accessed via a set of rear half-doors, and it’s likely that any production version would have substituted an additional set of seats, making it more of a match for the H2 SUT (sport-utility truck) body style.

Even wilder than the Power Wagon’s extroverted appearance was the powerplant under its hood. The concept featured a six-cylinder turbodiesel engine sourced not from long-time Dodge partner Cummins but rather from heavy equipment builder Caterpillar. Rated at 300 horsepower and 780 lb-ft of twist, it shamed the comparable Cummins by nearly doubling the diesel’s torque output, but it did so by way of a strange, natural gas–derived synthetic fuel from a company called Syntroleum. The exotic fuel that did away with the sulfur in standard diesel, with the end result being big power with very low emissions.

Equator equation

Ford was also hulking up behind the scenes. In 2000, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the Blue Oval debuted the Equator concept, its own interpretation of the full-size, go-anywhere sport-utility-truck theme.

It’s hard to look at the Equator from a modern perspective and not see more than a little Hummer H2 in its ultra-chunky lines. Sitting on a heavy-duty pickup chassis, the vehicle bore almost no resemblance to Ford’s existing full-size offerings, charting a bold new look that signaled the automaker was taking the all-terrain segment seriously.

The Equator incorporated a number of advanced features that most likely would have been dialed down once production began. These included fenders made from Kevlar rather than from steel, a central tire-inflation system similar to that of the Hummer H1, and a fully-independent suspension system that would, no doubt, have yielded to a cheaper stick-axle setup. As with the Hummer H3 SUT, Ford extended the open pickup bed into the passenger compartment by way of a folding bulkhead.

Trail-worthy ground clearance, adjustable coil-over suspension, and a turbodiesel engine (one that burned dino juice rather than lab-grown fare) were also in the cards for the Ford Equator, which arrived on the scene at a time when Ford had nearly turned its back on off-road rigs. The Bronco had recently been retired, the Raptor had yet to be conceived, and the only special-edition F-Series truck out there was the street-focused Lightning. This unusual outlier pointed in an entirely fresh direction for the Blue Oval.

Weathering the storm?

Why did the H2 make it to production, and not the Power Wagon or Equator? General Motors had one distinct advantage over both DaimlerChrysler and Ford when it came to the construction of a plus-size boulder-bounder: Its wholly-owned A.M. General subsidiary, which was able to devote an assembly line to the Hummer H2 at its Mishawaka, Indiana, plant.

The unique combination of ready-made H2 components sourced from pickup lines, plus available production capacity that took nothing away from its profitable stream of trucks, allowed GM to go all-in on Hummer without having to build out a back-end to steer the end product to dealerships. Its Detroit-based competitors faced a different, tougher choice: Divert resources away from their cash-cow pickups to gamble on the full-size off-road segment, which had traditionally been low-volume. Their foresight proved to be correct, as sales would peak at just under 35,000 units a year for the Hummer.

That’s high-enough volume to generate at least a little profit, but still too low to represent anything other than a rounding error on a year-end spreadsheet compared to the full-size truck juggernauts dominating both Ford and Dodge factories. It was certainly not enough to justify giving up precious line space. The Equator and the Power Wagon served as styling exercises that influenced upcoming pickup designs for each brand, with their unusual drivetrains and off-road chops essentially ignored.

In retrospect, Ford and DaimlerChrysler’s decision to stay on the sidelines looks like the right call. In the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis customers began to turn away from the worst excesses of the SUV segment as fuel prices climbed to levels not seen for decades. H2 sales fell accordingly, and not even the presence of the smaller and marginally more thrifty H3 could turn things around for the moribund brand. The factory off-road market shrunk to a two-horse race between the right-sized Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota 4Runner, with more niche models like the Nissan Xterra and Toyota FJ Cruiser bringing up the rear.

If the Power Wagon and the Equator had stayed the course, however, there’s a slim chance that Hummer might have survived its 2009 execution. In 2010, Ford introduced the F-150 Raptor, a vehicle that weaponized the H2’s bulk while enhancing its rugged capability. Gas prices normalized, and to this day, brands can’t seem to build and stock SUVs fast enough. In 2018, Ford even went so far as to excise all but the Mustang from its passenger-car lineup.

Had DaimlerChrysler and Ford put the Power Wagon and Equator into production, perhaps they and GM could have bridged the 24 months of chaos that enveloped the industry at the end of the 2000s, thus helping Hummer survive into the current SUV golden age. Instead, one of the most recognizable names in sport-utility history was relegated to the dust heap just a few years too early.

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It’s been said you should never meet your heroes because they’ll never live up to your expectations. Rob Keil didn’t find that to be true. Instead, he learned that sometimes your heroes turn out to be bigger, better, and more fascinating than you ever imagined. Book-worthy, even.

“Fitz and Van are legends, the best of the best,” says Keil, author of the newly released, 200-page retrospective Art Fitzpatrick & Van Kaufman: Masters of the Art of Automobile Advertising, published by Advection Media. “You don’t have to love cars to love their work. A lot of people know their ads without knowing who they were.”

Keil used to be one of those people. He was only 10 the first time he saw one of the duo’s Pontiac illustrations while flipping through the pages of his dad’s old National Geographic magazines. Keil immediately fell in love with not only the cars but also the detailed backgrounds, which were set in exotic locations around the world.

“I wondered, who is AF/VK?” Keil says, referring to the initials at the bottom of each illustration. “At the time you couldn’t just jump online and find out. Clearly these guys were the best—their initials popped up on every one of my favorite ads. I just had no way to find out who they were.”

Fast forward to Keil’s first class on his first day of college: “Advertising Layout and Book Design.” The instructor spoke about the role of an advertising director, and Keil knew immediately that’s what he wanted to do. He still didn’t know who AF/VK were, but he certainly knew where his inspiration came from.

“The fact that I’m an art director in the advertising business is not a coincidence,” says the 52-year-old Keil, who lives and works in the San Francisco Bay area. “I realized there was a job that allowed you to work with people like that, and that was really exciting for me. I’m doing what I was meant to do, and I thank Fitz and Van for helping me find my way there. They’ve inspired generations of advertising designers and car designers. They made it an irresistible thing.”

Eventually Keil was able to learn the artists’ identities through Google. While Kaufman had passed away by then (he died in 1995), Keil located Fitzpatrick and sent him a letter describing how his work had inspired him and helped shape his career. “Fitz,” as his friends called him, wrote back, and the two kept in touch. Then Keil approached Fitzpatrick with the idea of making a biographical video about him. The first interviews were recorded in April 2010, when Fitz was almost 90.

The video was never produced, since the two could not agree on the format, but their time together was hardly wasted. “I knew how I wanted to do the video, but I also wanted to do it the way he wanted—he was my hero,” Keil says. “That didn’t work out, but it evolved into this book, which is the best way to present it anyway. I’d been cutting Fitz and Van ads out of magazines and saving them for years, and I’d created my own little album. The challenge became, how do I cull this down into a book?”

Beyond showing the duo’s masterful artwork, Keil wanted to answer the questions that he had asked himself for years: Who were these men, and how did they create the ads that became legendary? “We know the work, for sure—few of us know the people or their tricks of the trade.”

Fitzpatrick, who died in November 2015, just shy of his 96th birthday, painted and designed cars for more than seven decades. The son of an artist and grandson of an architect/artist, Fitz said he was born with “designer genes” and was immediately attracted to cars. He once told Hagerty, “I grew up in Detroit. What does a guy draw besides cars?”

At 17, Fitz lied about his age to get into The Society of Arts and Crafts and the Detroit School of Art, and a year later he was hired by John Tjaarda at the Briggs Body Company. Fitzpatrick moved to California at 19 to work with Howard “Dutch” Darrin, designing custom-built Packards. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he signed on to do Mercury ads in 1945.

Kaufman attended what is now known as the California Institute of Arts and, much to his father’s chagrin, he planned for a career in the arts. He was hired as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, working on Fantasia (1940) and Dumbo (1941), and during World War II, he directed several training films. Kaufman thought his future might be in the movie business until he visited New York City, fell in love with the atmosphere and the people, and found plenty of work in advertising.

Fitzpatrick and Kaufman shared an agent, and in 1950, when Mercury asked Fitz if he knew an artist he’d like to collaborate with, he suggested Van. With Fitzpatrick drawing the cars and Kaufman the backgrounds, it was the beginning of a history-making partnership. The two later collaborated on Buick ads from 1954–58 before moving on to Pontiac, where together they created 285 memorable illustrations from 1959–71. They also produced Opel ads from 1972–73.

Keil admits that prior to his friendship with Fitz, he had no idea the duo had worked for other automakers before and after Pontiac.

“The Mercury stuff was good, but they had mostly white backgrounds,” Keil says. “The Buick stuff was inspired—it elevated Buick to the height of 1950s glamour. The places they put the cars seemed very cosmopolitan. They created an image that said, ‘A glamorous lifestyle begins with Buick.’ It became a status brand, and Van’s backgrounds really had a lot to do with that.”

But it was Fitzpatrick and Kaufman’s work for Pontiac that turned them into superstars.

“Pontiac was at the bottom of GM’s lineup when they came onboard, and they made it a really exciting brand in the ’60s,” Keil says. “Of course, the cars were good too—Grand Prix, Firebird, GTO—but they took those cars and gave them an aura of style and sophistication.”

Keil says he stepped away from his book project for about five years to devote time and attention to his advertising job and to raise a son, but when he dove back into it, he was determined to see it through. It took three years of evenings and weekends to finish the job.

Keil says he found plenty of surprises along the way. First, while seeking out original artwork to photograph for the book, he didn’t anticipate finding a “small network of people who own those paintings and who were willing to share them. I spent a lot of time getting on planes and going to see this stuff. And a lot of it had never been published before—like the thousands of (photographic) slides that were used to create the backgrounds.”

The author was also surprised to learn about three artists—Dale Gustafson, Roger Metcalf, and Al Weston—who played prominent roles in Fitz and Van’s success, creating images to help ease the workload. Keil says in one year at Buick, the team produced 47 print ads plus a dealer brochure with dozens of illustrations. “I had no idea the degree of their involvement and how fantastic their work was,” he says of Gustafson, Metcalf, and Weston. “They were not in the public eye; they were totally behind the scenes. But their work was a huge deal.”

Learning the technical aspects behind Fitz and Van’s images was like pulling back the curtain and seeing how the secret sauce was made.

“Nothing was left to chance,” Keil says. “They carefully photographed the cars and the places they wanted the cars to be. It gave me some very interesting insight into how it was all done—it was kind of a wow moment for me.

“Fitz also explained that ultimately the color of the car doesn’t matter—or shouldn’t matter. He said, for example, don’t think of it as a black car. Think of it as a car that has black surfaces and white surfaces, depending on the lighting and the angle. Look at what it looks like in the photograph. That’s the truth. Show that in the illustration.

“Fitz found that putting a black car or a white car in the shade with colorful surroundings made the cars look the shiniest, and it really does look like a mirror. How the images reflect off the car, how they change depending on the contour … He paid attention to everything. He learned a lot of tricks over time.”

Keil explains how Fitz once illustrated a 1970 Tempest in the rain.

“He took a hose to his own car to get the droplets right and to see which direction the rain would roll off the hood,” Keil says. “Then he added every individual rain drop. He never did another one like that. It was like he said, ‘OK, I did it,’ and he was done with rain.”

Keil was also surprised to learn just how small the actual paintings were. “I thought they’d be bigger, like 2 x 3 (feet), but they’re just about the size of record album. And the reason for that is speed. Every square inch takes a certain number of hours. So, to get them done on time they had to work small.”

With that said, “The amount of detail is astounding. I’ve looked at these under a magnifying glass, and every little thing is perfectly done. It’s just incredible—right down to adding a tiny yellow reflection in the bumper of the road’s center line, when there’s no way that was in any photograph. Fitz just knew it belonged there. Few people would notice that stuff, but he insisted on doing it right.”

Keil used the endpapers of the book to emphasize that point, doubling the size of Fitz’s painting of a 1965 Pontiac 2+2 to illustrate the tiniest of details.

He explains that since each image was a collaboration, there was a lot of back and forth.

“With Fitz producing the car and Van the background, things had to happen in a certain order,” Keil says. “Fitz couldn’t add the reflections in the car until he knew exactly where Van wanted the people and buildings and everything else in the background. And the one of the last things that Fitz did was the windshield. It was complicated because of the layers you could see through the glass.”

Although Keil says he appreciates automobiles and loves the world of advertising, he has never worked on a car ad. “Nor do I have a particular ambition to. The car business is so different today than it was in the ’60s. That was a more glamorous era. It’s hard to find anything new to say about cars or new ways to present them in print.”

With so many automakers reaching into their past and reviving once-popular models, might the Fitz and Van magic be recreated in advertising? Keil doesn’t think so.

“Not because it isn’t technically possible, but because we’ve moved on to a different place,” he says. “People are used to seeing things in a photograph or created on a computer. Could the best artists in the world do something like this? Maybe, but it will never happen. Sadly, that era has passed. Fitz and Van were yesterday’s news by the time they were finished. People don’t believe illustrations like they do photographs, and Fitz and Van manufactured reality with paint and colored pencils.”

And they did it beautifully.

“They were not mere mortals. Their work was out of this world,” Keil says of AF/VK, whose ads inspired him long before he ever knew their names. “You’d be hard-pressed to find a bad one … There’s no such thing.”

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Decades upon decades passed when General Motors could do no wrong, and the products rolling off its assembly line were proof positive of its business model’s supremacy. But nobody’s perfect, and mistakes had to be addressed to meet stockholder’s expectations. GM’s design and engineering teams made some great cars with serious potential that were packed with tragic flaws—and received heroic fixes that came right before their curtain calls. It’s all rather tragic, so here are nine examples to prove the point.

1993 Cadillac Allanté (Northstar)

You gotta give General Motors credit, because when it aims for the stars, it grabs a firehose full of ideas and shoots skyward. Take a shortened E-body coupe and turn it into a bespoke V-body, then deliver finished shells from Italy’s Pininfarina to Hamtramck via a convoy of Boeing 747s known as the “Air Bridge.” One of the biggest keys to the Allanté’s failure was the drivetrain layout (front-wheel drive does not a Mercedes SL competitor make) and the mediocre performance of Cadillac’s High Technology V-8 engines.

The lack of power was finally addressed in 1993, the Allanté’s final year, by the rocket-like thrust of Cadillac’s all-new Northstar V-8. The added grunt was competitive, but 1993 also included a heavily revised rear suspension, active dampers, and revised power-steering. As we previously mentioned, the 1993 Allanté was “finally, the internationally competitive luxury roadster its creators had envisioned … albeit six years too late.”

1988 Pontiac Fiero

One of the big problems with the Pontiac Fiero, aside from the engine fires of the early models, was the promise of sporty performance, which wasn’t realized until the last year of production. As we previously mentioned, cost-cutting sealed the Fiero’s fate well before 1988. There was simply too much parts-bin engineering: The compact X-body (Citation) front suspension was flipped 180 degrees and dropped in the back, while the front suspension was lifted from the T-body subcompact (Chevette). It’s a shame that in the Fiero’s final year the necessary suspension upgrades (new front control arms, knuckles, and an all-new tri-link rear suspension, plus a wider front track and, on WS6 models, staggered wheels) and improved brakes (four wheel vented discs) couldn’t alter the course of history. These bits were precisely what Pontiac engineers intended for the Fiero from the get-go. At least we got one year of mid-engine Pontiac Excitement.

2020 Cadillac CT6-V (Blackwing)

Hate to say it, but the Cadillac CT6 is not unlike the Cimarron before it. That’s because the last examples of Cadillac’s J-body experiment indeed improved when a 2.8-liter V-6 and five-speed manual transmission were standard equipment. Similarly, the CT6 never set the world on fire, because a flagship luxury sedan needs more swagger under the hood than a turbocharged four-cylinder could ever provide. (Yes, the CT6’s standard engine was 0.8 liters smaller than what’s on tap for a 1987 Cimarron.)

The CT6 didn’t receive a proper V-8 until the 2020 CT6-V hit the scene with the similarly star-crossed Blackwing motor. Because there is still a market for upper-crust luxury sedans (think Mercedes S-Class), the CT6 deserved an optional V-8 from the start. What happened when the CT6 got it all? Both the engine and the car unceremoniously met their maker.

1917–18 Chevrolet Series D

The Series D was truly a car ahead of its time, sporting a standard overhead-valve V-8 engine that came a full 38 years before the famous small-block Chevrolet V-8. A gentleman named A.T. Stuart designed a surprisingly lightweight chassis and a rear suspension with quarter-elliptic rear leaf springs mounted in a rather radical cantilever fashion. All of which should have meant a longer production run for the Series D, so what happened? General Motors happened. It’s a safe bet that the 1917 integration of Chevrolet into General Motors ensured the premium Chevrolet V-8 could never be a threat to offerings from Oldsmobile and Buick.

General Motors EV1 (NiMH upgrade)

This one is a no-brainer: Have a look at the photo that comes with the Wikipedia definition of compliance car. The EV1 was ahead of its time and yet destined for failure. We’ve discussed the truth about this car previously, but the fact remains: The EV1 only improved toward the end, when the second generation received nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries. While NiMH aren’t nearly as good as the li-ion batteries that made Tesla famous, the EV1 proves that General Motors was dead-serious about electric propulsion. And it doubled down on its efforts by improving the EV1 … before they crushed (almost) all of them. 

1929–31 Viking

Based on one of GM’s first shared platforms (the ubiquitous 1926–96 GM B-platform), the Viking by Oldsmobile was a short-lived experiment in premium branding for an established automaker. While this notion was successful for Oakland (i.e. Pontiac) it didn’t work out here, or at Buick (with Marquette), or at Cadillac (with LaSalle). Well, perhaps it worked a little too well for Oakland. No matter, Viking was “built to meet growing public demand for an eight-cylinder car of General Motors quality at medium price.” Talk about irony: The Series D mentioned above was doing the same for Chevrolet a little over a decade before. GM knows market segmentation can only take it so far, but market research in the Herbert Hoover era was probably lacking a bit.

2006 Chevrolet SSR (LS2)

Chevrolet’s Super Sport Roadster was a truck with a folding hardtop, styled to be a hot take on the “Advance Design” pickups from 1947. The look was great, but it rested atop a revised GMT-360 platform (shared with the Trailblazer SUV) with a workhorse 5.3-liter V-8 (300 horsepower) that ensured the SSR didn’t perform as well as some hoped.

The combination of brilliant style atop mundane underpinnings is not unlike the Pontiac Fiero’s tragic tale, as looks weren’t enough to keep questions about SSR’s longevity at bay. The asking price was steep and sales were disappointing, but the penultimate year (2005) saw the introduction of the LS2 small block V-8 (390 horsepower) and an optional six-speed manual transmission. Could this be the reincarnation of the El Camino SS? Unfortunately not, as only 826 units were sold in 2006, even with a modest power bump (+5 for autoboxes and +10 for manuals). Perhaps the future coulda been brighter if the combination of LS2 LS6 and manual transmission was available from the get-go … or perhaps power was never the SSR’s problem.

1976–77 Chevrolet Vega

I come not to bury the Chevrolet Vega, but to praise it. The early models certainly had their problems, but like most American cars in the 1970s, a cornucopia of running changes happened behind the scenes and never got the attention they deserved. This isn’t just about big bumpers and catalytic converters, as there were presumably 264 changes in 1975 and 300 changes the year after. Our nation’s Bicentennial anniversary ushered in an honest-to-goodness five-speed manual transmission, corrosion-fighting improvements, cooling upgrades, revised chassis, larger brakes, and an upgraded rear suspension. The Vega’s final year (1977) was cleaner thanks to a revised secondary air-injection system, and the insides looked more upscale with color keyed steering wheels, steering columns, and a color-matched full console. While the Vega lived a long life (and spawned the sporty Monza/Skyhawk/Starfire/Sunbird) it’s safe to say that many of the best Vegas ever made were the last ones.

2002 Oldsmobile Intrigue

I’ll let you in on a little secret: General Motors’ long running W-body platform is rather underrated, and the best of the breed came from Oldsmobile. No other W-body has the clean, modern styling and sweated the details quite like the Intrigue. No really: I mean, just look real close at that nose!

While there was nothing particularly wrong with the Intrigue, unlike other Oldsmobiles that benefited from performance upgrades (think supercharged 3800 engines), the Intrigue died three years before the wicked 5.3-liter V-8 engine (LS4) was shoehorned into the W-body Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. If only the Intrigue GLS could have the LS4 V8 tearing up the streets, violently torque-steering its owners off the road with just a touch of the traction control button and a punch to the gas pedal. Iron fist, meet velvet glove: If only the Oldsmobile division survived long enough to make this happen!

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New York International Auto Show canceled for the second year

Intake: NYIAS officials released a statement canceling the 2022 show due to “growing incidences of the Covid-19 Delta variant” in New York. This is the second straight year the event has been canceled due to the coronavirus.

Exhaust: The New York Auto Show has traditionally been a major place to debut vehicles for the North American market and, quite honestly, a great excuse to visit the city. We’re saddened by the news but aren’t totally surprised as indoor events are still touch-and-go.

Morgan catches the safari bug, reason abandons humanity

Intake: Way out of left field—and perhaps from another zoning district entirely—Morgan just unveiled a safari-style overland project it’s calling the Plus Four CX-T. Based on the standard Plus Four and its new aluminum CX chassis, the CX-T combines Plus Six suspension with a host of upgrades in consultation with off-road experts at Rally Raid UK. Components include coilovers, unique bushings, off-road rubber, a three-mode locking differential, a five-piece underbody protection package, a bespoke rear-side-exit exhaust, and a wild-looking rear equipment carrier with a protective “exoskeleton.” Morgan claims that the CX-T can traverse obstacles as much as 230 mm (just over 9 inches). Eight examples will be built by the close of 2021, at a cost of £170,000 ($237,000). No word on the powertrain, but we’d expect the same BMW four-cylinder turbo with 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, and in this application the six-speed manual gearbox would be the natural choice.

Exhaust: When we said back in 2019 that the CX platform would open up a world of possibilities, nothing in this same universe seemed probable. To see Morgan latch onto a trend at the peak of its popularity is especially shocking; this is the kind of company that would insist on rabbit hunting with slingshots rather than sighted rifles because it’s “better sport” or whatever. Of course, Morgan is never shy about leaning on heritage, and the “T” in CX-T supposedly stands for “trialing.” Founder HMS Morgan began competing in British trials—as we recently did—as early as 1911. “The project was unrestrained and born entirely from a desire to create an exciting British adventure vehicle,” says Jonathan Wells, Morgan’s head of design. “For me, it’s a complete package: historical integrity, legitimate capability, and a brand-new adventure-lead aesthetic.”

GM will build a medium-duty EV truck

Intake: General Motors’ forthcoming tidal wave of electric vehicles isn’t going to be limited to commuter rides. A GM Authority report revealed that in a recent call with investors, GM CEO Mary Barra confirmed that there’s an all-electric medium-duty Chevy pickup in the works, supposedly coming to life alongside the electric Chevy van being built as a part of GM’s new BrightDrop commercial fleet. Barra was scant on details about the workhorse truck, but it’s likely that we’ll see it arrive sometime around the midpoint of this decade—2025ish.

Exhaust: With each passing month, the breadth and depth of GM’s electric onslaught becomes more clear. Betting that an all-electric truck can handle the rigors of medium duty life is risky; the folks driving those rigs have exactly zero tolerance for unplanned downtime—say, a mid-afternoon, hour-long charging session. Call us skeptically optimistic.

Lambo is IMSA-bound in 2024, Le Mans appears likely

Intake: Racer reported yesterday afternoon that Lamborghini Squadra Corse will enter IMSA’s LMDh class in 2024, using a hybrid racer based on the same Multimatic-built chassis as its—you guessed it—VW Group cousins from Porsche and Audi. It’s highly likely that, with the LMH/LMDh regulations set to merge in 2022, Lamborghini will also campaign multiple entries in the FIA’s World Endurance Championship, a series crowned by the 24-hour event at the Circuit de la Sarthe. Should it officially commit in September, Lamborghini will join Acura and BMW, in addition to Porsche and Audi, in the top tier of IMSA competition. Racer expects Cadillac to make a similar announcement in the next few weeks. Peugeot and Ferrari haven’t announced plans to compete in IMSA, though each has committed to the WEC for 2023. Toyota and SCG are already active.

Exhaust: Lamborghini’s motorsports arm can’t claim the deadly-consistent performance record of Audi and Porsche. With three prototype efforts from the VAG, there’s also a high chance of overlap—but, if nothing else, we’re thrilled that Lamborghini is taking the risk. Bring on the Italian soap drama.

Report: An electric Jeep arrives in 2023

Intake: The Detroit News is reporting that Stellantis has fixed a 2023 arrival date for Jeep’s first all-electric model. The plug-in Wrangler 4xe is already on dealer lots (and flying off them, too) and a Grand Cherokee with a charging port is also in the works. The same article also notes that Alfa Romeo’s North American portfolio will ditch combustion for battery power in 2027, and that Maserati’s all-electric GranTurismo arrives in 2022.

Exhaust: We knew a battery-powered Jeep was coming, but now we know when. Whether Jeep will go whole-hog and start its pure-electric portfolio with a Wrangler, or play it safe and make a BEV version of, say, the next Cherokee, is anyone’s guess. Either way, our first drive of Jeep’s Magneto concept convinced us that, despite the change afoot, the brand is still capable of catering to off-road loyalists in the future.

Monterey Car Week to host BMW North American debuts

Intake: BMW will debut the production versions of the M5 CS Limited Edition and Alpina B8 Gran Coupe at Legends of the Autobahn, displaying them along with the entire M3 and M4 range. The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at Laguna Seca will host the North American premiere of The BMW M4 GT3 on Friday, August 13.

Exhaust: BMW has chosen various venues on the peninsula to reveal vehicles in the past. This full-scale embrace of Monterey Car Week only continues a trend that has seen the event become more important to the auto enthusiast community as it takes on additional elements that have traditionally been reserved for full-scale auto shows.

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Earlier this month, General Motors announced a “strategic investment and commercial collaboration” with Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR) to procure lithium from Southern California’s Salton Sea, said to hold a third of the world’s supply in lithium, through a relatively new process that seeks to minimize the environmental impacts of traditional lithium mining.

While the battery-electric vehicles (BEV) that will ultimately benefit from this partnership produce no major environmental impacts locally, the same isn’t necessarily true of lithium mining strategies. The most common processes involve hogging the stuff out of the earth in surface mines to process ore or pumping underground brine into evaporation ponds before processing off the remaining mixture of heavy metals and salts to extract the lithium. GM’s SoCal investment isn’t significant simply because the OEM is securing its own vertical in battery production; it’s a major step in the right direction for the lithium mining industry to address its most glaring hypocrisy: the environmental casualties of its processes.

If you spend any amount of time on social media, no doubt you’ve seen the photos of the stair-stepped craters in Australia and China. Surface mining (also called “hard rock” or “open pit” mining) is nothing new: stripping the land in a methodical dig that chases ore veins by cutting down to them from above instead of boring into the land with underground mining. The process can be fast and affordable, and compared to underground mining it’s also much safer for workers.

However, there’s nothing environmentally protective about erasing whole hilltops. The regions where lithium tends to collect—usually around areas of historical volcanic activity and marble formation—are often in barren and arid parts of the world, so the average person won’t become aware of the dramatic consequences until they come across an image in the news or in some weaponized meme; but a lack of public awareness hardly removes the need for sustainable practices with minimal environmental impacts.

As an alternative to surface mining, companies have chosen to pump underground brine—salt water that is rich in various precious minerals—into giant above-ground pools. Over the course of months, depending on temperature and rainfall, the water evaporates, leaving behind salts that are rich in potassium, manganese, and borax. Lithium, ironically, is still very sparse in the remaining salts, only accounting for a few percent of the total materials processed out of the brine. Another disadvantage of this process is that it demands vast amounts of water: Evaporation pools in Chile account for 65 percent of the region’s water usage. Those pools can also leech these materials—the mined salts and the acids used to separate them— back into topsoil, causing problems for local populations and ecosystems. And have we talked about the land use yet? To promote evaporation, the pools must be large and shallow, with maximum surface area to absorb sunlight.

While the evaporation process isn’t nearly as costly to the earth as surface mining is, it’s a highly inefficient method if you’re primarily interested in harvesting lithium. These pools can’t reliably support future demand for lithium, which is sure to be voracious, and they still require more real estate than the direct-extraction method that GM and CTR are exploring.

Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) is essentially a closed-loop brine system that replaces the evaporation ponds with a manufacturing process to separate lithium from the brine before injecting the spent brine it back into the ground to support further extraction. That re-injection of the brine is what makes this process unique; that excess water isn’t being evaporated off while local resources are simultaneously sucked dry to support the pumping of those evaporation ponds. Eliminating the ponds means that DLE facilities won’t have a massive footprint, since underground drilling and pumping have minimal impact at the surface.

This investment isn’t just about the mining of lithium, either. GM and CTR are lining up every bird they can throw a stone at with the Hell’s Kitchen operation, which will also produce geothermal steam power. We need to mine lithium and we need a more robust power-generation infrastructure to charge it, and this SoCal operation offers a promising solution to this sustainability paradox. The Salton Sea is an active geothermal area, meaning that high temperatures below the surface create a significant amount of steam pressure, which can be harnessed during the brine extraction to drive turbine-generators while the liquid brine is processed for lithium. While geothermal energy production is already common around the Salton Sea, none of it has been yet adapted for mining.

GM and CTR aren’t the only players in DLE mining—Tesla is chasing similar mining processes—but the two are among the first OEMs to commit to the technology at this scale. We’re excited to see the fruits of the venture.

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Anyone remember the 1980–85 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham coupe? You could be forgiven if it doesn’t ring a bell. For almost all of its history, the Fleetwood Brougham was a four-door sedan—a body style that is amazingly disappearing in 2021. But starting in mid-1980, for the first time ever, a Fleetwood Brougham two-door was added to the Cadillac lineup.

As with the newly-restyled 1980 rear-wheel-drive Cadillacs, the Fleetwood Brougham coupe featured a smoother body and front end to aid fuel economy, in addition to a more upright, formal C-pillar and rear window.

If you like vintage American luxury cars, you have to agree that this was a great design. Strong, bold, and clean, with squared-off styling that left no doubt you were looking at a Cadillac. From the bold grille, to the quad headlights …

… to the rear finlets and vertical taillights, this was the car to arrive at the golf course in. Although Al Czervik (Rodney Dangerfield) drove a Silver Cloud III convertible in Caddyshack, I can easily picture him having one of these sitting next to the Rolls-Royce in his garage. These Cadillacs, and especially the Fleetwood Brougham coupe and sedan, were a signal that you knew exactly what you wanted, and that was premium American luxury.

Especially in yacht club-approved Cotillion White with matching top and matching Sierra Grain leather, with navy carpeting and trim. What a combo!

I am a big fan of triple-white American luxury cars of the 1970s and ’80s, so when I first spotted this immaculate example on eBay years ago, I knew I had to share its Broughamtastic finery with the world.

How could you drive this car and not have a big, stupid grin on your face? These were the last of the big American lux cruisers, though these cars were pretty small compared to the Nimitz-class pre-’77 Cadillacs.

But after the 1980 refresh, and seen among its 1985 Aries, Celebrity, and Tempo contemporaries, they looked good sized. Park an ’85 Fleetwood Brougham coupe next to a 1985 Sedan de Ville or front-wheel-drive Fleetwood, and it’s no contest.

As far as style was concerned, the traditional “big” Cadillac had it in spades during the first half of the ’80s. So did the Eldorado, and even the polarizing 1980 Seville—especially if you loved Hooper-bodied Rolls-Royce Silver Wraiths and Daimler DS420 limousines.

The retro-styled bustle-back Seville may or may not have been the best idea after the remarkably contemporary 1976–79 Seville (one of my favorites, I must admit, especially in triple Naples Yellow), but like the 1979–85 Eldorado, these de Villes and Fleetwoods were beauties. They were so classic that they lasted all the way to 1992 with only a minor restyling in 1990, with flush headlamps, bodyside cladding, and a slightly revised instrument panel.

And so it was that during the 1980 model year, the Fleetwood Brougham, a four-door sedan exclusively since its inception in the mid-’60s, introduced a coupe. Like the elegant sedan, it offered even plusher accommodations, a padded vinyl roof, and a limousine-style backlight when compared to the Coupe and Sedan de Ville.

Fleetwood Coupes utilized a landau-style top instead of the full-length version used on the four-door, but it added a frenched-in opera window instead of the more conventional quarter window used on the Coupe deVille. The chrome rocker trim from the sedan was also applied.

The coupe, as attractive as it was, never sold like its four-door companion, and 1985—the year of our featured car—was the last time you could get the “big” Fleetwood Brougham Coupe. That same year, a non-Brougham “Fleetwood Coupe” appeared on the downsized, FWD C-body, but it didn’t have quite the presence of its bigger, Broughamier predecessor.

I love these cars, especially in triple white. This one is just a stunning time capsule, with only 43,000 miles on it. The condition is amazing. And the blue trim contrasts nicely with all that plush white leather. It makes me think of Ted Knight in Caddyshack during the marina scene. Hence, the title of this column … “Spaulding, get your foot off of the Brougham!”

Approximately 14 square feet of simulated wood trim, even on the steering wheel. Chrome trim on the accelerator and brake pedals. Hood ornament standing proudly several feet ahead. It’s all these little touches that make me love these cars. The little Cadillac logos and wreath and crest emblems are everywhere … like little Easter eggs for you to find. The classy exterior styling makes it even better.

Even the driver’s seat is pristine on this car. Someone really loved this Cadillac. It is essentially in showroom condition.

Original mileage, 43,900 and change. It shows in the remarkable condition throughout.

These Fleetwood Brougham coupes were certainly a car of their time and place. Especially if that place was a country club in Grosse Pointe (Michigan), Des Moines, or Kansas City in the fall of 1984. So, what price Broughaminess? Well, there were 75 bids for this Cadillac, and it finally hammered down for $16,500 back in 2014.

But wait! There’s more! I didn’t know him at the time, but the car was owned by Robert Reed, a Cadillac collector in California. I have since connected with him via Facebook and many of its Cadillac- and Brougham-related hobby groups. I can recall browsing Reed’s website, FleetofCads.com, as far back as 2005–06. At any rate, I learned recently from him that he’d bought the car back.

Since it had been sold, the car had been driven only two miles. Yes, two. So he got the car back in identical condition. The only change he has made since the car came back is to replace the wire wheel covers with genuine wire wheels, a factory option. Which makes it look even better, in my opinion. You can see even more pictures of this car on FleetofCads.com. Thanks Robert! Brougham on, sir.

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About halfway down the long hill leading to the General Motors Proving Ground test tracks in Milford, Michigan, it hit me that the electric concept car I was driving rolled on a cobbled-up show-car suspension and was armed with barely functional brakes. Uh-oh! It would be a supremely stupid, costly, career-ending blunder to crash this incredibly significant hand-built prototype EV by plowing off the fast 90-degree corner that awaited down the hill. Though the concept was called the Impact, I had no intention of putting that name to the test.

But wait! I recalled that the Impact featured variable regenerative braking with a rheostat control between the seats. I eased on the friction brakes, cranked the rheostat up to full regen, and barely made the corner. Whew! Shaken and chastened, I continued carefully to where I—as GM EV program Vehicle Test and Development manager—was heading to give members of the Board of Directors demo rides on the “Black Lake” skidpad.

Dramatic beginnings

At the 1990 Los Angeles Auto Show, people stopped in their tracks to gawk at this sleek, silver-bullet-shaped concept that would later morph into the EV1. Engineered and developed with high-tech California contractor Aerovironment, the Impact did more than just look cool. It could sprint from zero to 60 mph in a (then-quick) eight seconds and had achieved—in one test from 100 percent to absolute zero state of charge under ideal conditions at GM’s Arizona Desert Proving Grounds—a stunning 125 miles of range. At the time, that was better performance than any other practical electric car could claim.

Many saw it as the industry’s automotive future. Idealists cheered while skeptics scoffed. Politicians plotted to force-feed it to the American public. So positive was its press and public reception that on April 22, 1990 (Earth Day) GM CEO Roger Smith announced GM’s intent to produce such a car, targeting 25,000 units a year. Ken Baker, then head of Advanced Vehicle Engineering for GM’s Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada Group, was recruited to lead the effort.

“We recognized the obvious shortcoming of EVs,” Baker later said. “Our plan was to be battery agnostic—take the best available and focus on engineering the world’s most efficient vehicle, which would give dramatically better performance once a better battery came along. We had just come off of the success of the [race-winning solar-powered] SunRaycer and were encouraged by the sold-state electronics that had been demonstrated in that car, and [in] Impact.”

One key goal was to see how quickly and efficiently GM could do a completely different new car through a new Systems Engineering approach. The production target was just 36 months.

Then, by September 28, 1990, California’s Air Resources Board (CARB) mandated the seven top-selling automakers to make two percent of their California sales “zero emissions” by 1998, five percent by 2001, and 10 percent by 2003.

Myth: GM’s EV program was a reaction to the CARB mandate.

Truth: Other way around. GM was already working to produce a practical electric car, so CARB decided to force all major automakers to follow suit.

No business wants to be told how many of anything it must sell, since no sales mandate can force people to buy something they don’t want. And if a practical EV could be developed and built at a price people would be willing to pay, GM wanted to be there first. No one knew how many EVs could be sold, yet CARB’s mandate was nonetheless forcing GM’s six strongest competitors into an unpredictable new market.

The pause

As if that weren’t challenge enough, GM was going broke by 1992. CEO Bob Stempel and president Lloyd Reuss were ousted and Jack Smith stepped in as CEO. Smith proceeded to cancel or delay a number of product programs and (apologetically) put our nascent EV effort “on the shelf.” After 27 months of enthusiastic hard work by the team, Advanced Vehicle Engineering head Baker emotionally told us that our program was delayed.

While nearly everyone inside and outside the company wrote off the project as canceled, and about three-quarters of our group was reassigned to other programs, a core team of roughly 100 of us—mostly engineers—relocated to an off-site facility and continued development work. Baker was promoted to R&D vice president and kept the effort alive under that organization.

In the fall of 1993, my Test and Development team planned and coordinated a series of briefings and test drives for selected media using “Proof of Concept” (POC) early development cars. The resulting articles were highly positive. “GM’s hard-charging Impact is practical, fun to drive and a master stroke of engineering,” said Popular Mechanics. “The world’s best electric car,” gushed Popular Science. Even enthusiast magazines were pleasantly surprised.

Then, as part of the June 1994 “PrEView Drive” program, my team tested and prepped a batch of 50 hand-built POC-level Impacts. These vehicles were then loaned to regular citizens in a dozen U.S. cities, for three months at a time. Virtually everyone loved them and provided very positive and useful feedback on them. We were on our way.

Rebirth

In March 1994, with GM’s finances recovering, then-executive-in-charge of corporate strategy Bob Purcell was appointed to reboot the EV program and “make a business of it.” The aim was to lead the industry in EV technology and sell it to other automakers uninterested in investing a billion dollars or more to develop their own. Later, it came out that the positive ink generated from the aforementioned media drives had helped the board reach that decision.

Purcell began restaffing our group and elevated it to divisional status as GM Advanced Technology Vehicles (ATV) Division. “There were two fundamental challenges,” he later said. “Technical feasibility—can you make it work?—and commercial viability—can you make it at a cost that people can afford and shareholders can get a return on their investments?”

Myth: GM’s EV program was never serious.

Truth: It was deadly serious, and Purcell’s career-defining direction was to make it profitable.

Our tireless ATV engineering team worked simultaneously on three generations of what would later be badged EV1: Gen I with “advanced” lead-acid (PbA) batteries; Gen II offering an optional range-doubling but a much-higher-cost nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery; and Gen III with more affordable, longer-range lithium-polymer batteries that 3M Company and others were developing. GM was awarded 23 different patents for its advanced technology and features associated with the EV1’s development. By rethinking and reinventing virtually every element of the automobile, engineers on this project brought to reality such breakthrough technologies as the first heat-pump automotive climate system, electro-hydraulic power steering, and power-blended, electro-hydraulic regenerative braking. A 137-hp AC induction motor powered the car’s front wheels through a dual-reduction gearset.

On my vehicle Vehicle Test and Development team, engineers Marty Freedman and Garrett Beauregard helped make the EV1 the most energy-efficient, practical road vehicle in the world, while former Lotus development engineer Clive Roberts delivered surprisingly good ride and handling on its narrow, 50-psi, low-rolling-resistance tires. Gently driven in warm temperatures, the car could achieve 50 to 70 miles of range and could be recharged in about four hours using GM’s innovative, all-weather “inductive” 240V charger. Household 120V charging required 12 to 16 hours.

Myth: GM could have made EV1 more appealing by giving it more conventional looks and a back seat.

Truth: Because the Gen I’s 1175-pound pack of 27 advanced lead-acid batteries held the energy equivalent of just a half-gallon of gas, the car’s shape had to be a two-seat teardrop for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Many hours of wind-tunnel testing honed the EV1’s drag coefficient (Cd) to an astonishing 0.19. Analysis showed that stretching the car to add a back seat would hurt aero, add weight, and reduce the already marginally acceptable range by 25 percent.

Finally, production … in a manner of speaking

All EV1s were essentially hand-built using a unique “craft station” process in the small Lansing Craft Centre plant that had previously built the Buick Reatta. In late November 1996, to a round of applause from assembled team members, the first 1997 models were loaded on transporters for shipment to specially trained Saturn dealers. Partly because production was limited by component (especially battery) availability, but mostly due to unacceptable cold-weather range and very limited public-charging opportunities, EV1s were offered strictly for lease (no sales) at a rate of $399 per month ($669 when inflation-adjusted to 2021). Leases were limited only to Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Tucson at first, then later expanded to San Francisco and Sacramento. Ultimately, just 660 of these Gen II 1997 EV1s were built (with 288 leased that first year), followed by 457 Gen II ’99s—some with the optional NiMH batteries for double range. No ’98 models were built while GM engineers reworked the battery tunnel to provide cooling for the optional batteries, which were not offered in Arizona because they performed poorly in hot weather at that early stage of development.

However, when EV1 customer demand proved so weak that suppliers stopped making replacement parts, GM had to pull the proverbial plug. Lithium-polymer batteries were not happening, so until a practical, affordable, gasoline-competitive battery technology could be developed, there would be no GM EV2 or EV3.

Myth: GM wanted the EV1 to fail, so it didn’t properly promote or advertise the vehicle.

Truth: Our TV and print ads were limited mostly to markets where EV1s could be leased, and for our part, my team worked hard to aid our PR department in facilitating EV1 loans to auto writers.

Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Ford and every other automaker facing California’s unrealistic EV mandate also gave up, and CARB eventually was persuaded to back off its ill-considered force-feeding of technology that was nowhere near market-ready. GM collected all EV1 production vehicles when their three-year leases expired and destroyed all but about 40 examples that were donated to universities and museums with deactivated powertrains. That made most of their lessees, who genuinely loved their EV1s and did not want to relinquish them, extremely unhappy. And, in my opinion, the nasty crockumentary Who Killed the Electric Car? severely trashed “evil” GM for stopping EV1 production and destroying the cars, while assigning little credit for what was a sincere effort to “make a business of it.” In the end, GM invested more than a billion dollars to design, develop, produce, and market a vehicle that was simply way ahead of its time.

For those who contend EV1 lessees should have been permitted to buy and keep their cars, there are three practical, tangible reasons that GM didn’t allow any of them to remain in private hands. First, there were serious liability risks for both untrained owners and technicians to deal with aging 312V batteries. Second, GM had a reasonable desire to protect its proprietary technology and prevent its competitors from reverse-engineering the car. Finally, there was the matter of state laws requiring parts and service support for up to 15 years after sale—impossible since many EV1 parts suppliers went out of business or no longer made the necessary components.

Two decades later, EV buyers can enjoy a plethora of much better choices, available from several different automakers, that offer 200–300-plus-mile ranges. As an expensive two-seater with very limited range, the EV1 was a technological triumph in its day but a marketplace failure. But no one should believe that the program was unserious. I was there, I lived it, and I know better.

Myth: GM walked away from electric vehicles after canceling the EV1.

Truth: The momentum the EV1 program generated led to fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) research; Allison hybrid buses; plus “two-mode” hybrid technology for trucks, SUVs, and two generations of extended-range electric (EREV) Chevrolet Volts. (Successful and satisfying as the Volts were, they were too costly to be profitable.) Now GM touts the battery-electric (BEV) Chevy Bolt and Bolt EUV, with many more electric vehicles to come.

As anticipated all those years ago, the arrival of viable battery technology opened doors that were firmly shut with 1990s tech. That was the impact the industry needed.

The post Mythbusting: The truth about the GM EV1 appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Intake: GM Design reached 35 years back on Instagram to share a photo of long-time chief designer Tom Peters holding a mock-up of a V-8-powered weed-whacker. Peters was responsible for many of Chevrolet’s most important vehicles including the GMT K2XX Silverado and the C6 and C7 Corvettes, and he even contributed to the C8 before his retirement. Posing for the photo in a dapper suit, Peters is standing in front of a huge print of the Corvette Indy concept—which he designed—and isn’t inconvenienced by the weight of the mock-up weed-whacker. If a real Corvette TPI engine were used, that would be a truly bulky implement; it wasn’t until the ZR1 that the C4 got an aluminum block, and even that mill was no lightweight thanks to those massive heads.

Exhaust: Yeah, about that exhaust. If this were a functional piece of lawn equipment, the megaphone headers on this weed-whacker would simultaneously make you the fastest trimmer in the country and the scourge of any neighborhood. Still, we appreciate the thought of dropping a small-block into any place it can fit, and even somewhere it clearly doesn’t. The small-block Chevy isn’t the world’s most ubiquitous V-8 for nothing.

Toyota Hypercars sweep to 1–2 victory in WEC opener, Glickenhaus finishes gamely

Intake: The inaugural race of the 2021 WEC calendar was held not a Sebring, per tradition, but on the 2.9-mile, 16-turn course at Portimão, on the south coast of Portugal, an even that hosted the first running of the new top class in the WEC, the LMP1-replacing Hypercar group. Toyota’s #8 and #7 hybrid GR010 racers took first and second, in that order, after a last-lap shuffle. Alpine (a.k.a. Renault) took third with its LMP1 entry, grandfathered in under the LMH regulations for the ’21 season. American newcomers Glickenhaus put a brave face on their 30th place finish (out of 32), posting a congrats to Toyota Gazoo Racing on Twitter and adding: “As for us, we crashed once, touched once, and accidentally burned through and changed one clutch, and still finished our first @FIAWEC.”

Exhaust: Toyota is one of the best in the endurance racing business: the well-funded team and its arsenal of veteran drivers has won the past three 24 Hours of Le Mans. Its Portimão victory is no surprise—but we’re still cheering for the Glickenhaus underdog.

After 11 years, Lexus’ brand-new infotainment system ditches the touchpad

Intake: When the ’22 Lexus NX crossover hits dealer lots at the end of this year, the RX SUV’s little brother will bring a much-needed upgrade: Toyota’s completely rehauled infotainment system. Gone is the infamously clunky touchpad. The new system, equipped with five times the processing power of its predecessor, will rely instead upon taps and voice commands.

Exhaust: Toyota finally addresses the Achilles’ heel of its Lexus lineup. A mouse-pad-like controller made sense in 2010, when the original iPhone was only three years old; in tech-obsessed 2021, it’s a frustrating anachronism.

Startech builds a Defender for city life

Intake: German tuner Startech (a Brabus spin-off) has confirmed what most us already know: Few Land Rover Defender owners are likely to utilize the car’s prodigious prowess off-road. With that in mind the company has built an “on-roader” that it describes as an “inimitable urban lifestyle jewel.” There’s a wraparound bodykit, a giant Union Jack emblazoned on the rear and a set of redonkulous 23-inch Monostar E black wheels wearing Yokohama tires. Startech has reprogrammed the air suspension to allow the Defender to ride 35 mm (1.38 inches) lower than standard, although it will still rise to full height to tackle speed humps and potholed city streets. There’s also a wide range of interior packages featuring leather and Alcantara aplenty.

Exhaust: A Land Rover that can no longer rove the land? We can’t say that we’re convinced this is a good idea, but what do you think?

Lordstown Motors CEO and CFO abandon ship

Intake: Turbulence worsens inside the walls of Lordstown Motors; executives Steve Burns (CEO) and Julio Rodriguez (CFO) have left the company, according to a company announcement made public today, Monday, June 14th. The shake-up comes on the heels of last week’s news of Lordstown’s blighted financial outlook, disclosed through a routine SEC filing. The exits of Burns and Rodriguez are also believed to be linked to overinflation in the number of viable pre-orders on Lordstown’s books. Angela Strand (Executive Chairwoman) and Becky Roof (CFO) will now aim to steer the company out of R&D phases and into the commercial production process until permanent executives are enshrined. Lordstown maintains its commitment to the Endurance model, and September’s timeline to start production.

Exhaust: Lordstown Motors is clearly in desperate need of major course-correction. As of today, Lordstown (RIDE) is trading down ~20 percent on the Nasdaq, but short-term loss can become long-term gain if new leadership can salvage its business out of this mess. After the crushing departure of General Motors, the people of Lordstown, Ohio are surely praying the company can flip the script.

At last, Fast and Furious franchise is staging a final chapter

Intake: It’s been two decades since the first installment in the Fast and Furious franchise and only now is there discussion around bringing the nitrous-fueled saga to a tidy close. The report comes directly from Vin Diesel, the man who is cast as Dominic Toretto—the leader of the band of street-racers-turned-international-spies that has driven the series to consistent box-office success. An interview conducted with the Associated Press cites that F9, which is set to be released on June 25 following a year-long delay, is the first of a three-movie wrap-up. According to director Jason Lin, “We’re kind of reconfiguring everything, so that the next two movies should wrap up this amazing journey for these characters.”

Exhaust: This series is responsible for bringing many budding gearheads into the automotive hobby, whether credit goes to the sultry, black 1970 Charger or the glamorous and constantly rotating cast of import customs. It’s also incredibly long-lived, putting us in mind of the similarly cult-generating Supernatural series, whose first episode aired in 2005. Unlike that 15-series saga, however, F&F is only generating more hype as the plots become increasingly incredible.

The post GM’s V-8-powered weed-whacker, Toyota’s latest racing win, no more touchpads at Lexus appeared first on Hagerty Media.

As the era of General Motors’ exceptional driver’s sedans readies to kick off its 668-hp farewell tour this summer, many enthusiasts find themselves with a renewed hunger for four-door performance with that tried-and-true combo of V-8, rear-drive, and manual transmission. Unfortunately, for those of us who look upon the CT5-V Blackwing and see the perfect car staring back at us, there’s just one problem: price. The privilege of putting your right thumb on that sweet, 3D-printed shifter medallion every day will cost $83,995 before you add a single option or account for destination, tax, or dealer fees. Selecting all of the kit that one would desire on their super sedan could send the bottom line soaring past $125,000.

If those numbers are a bit beyond your means because you are, oh, say, an educator, a writer (or both), fear not! There are other comparable options out there, if you’re willing to dip into the used and collector markets. The LT4-powered Blackwing is just the latest in a line of world-class fast sedans from GM, dating back to the tenure of enthusiast-whisperer Bob Lutz. So let’s turn back the clock to the late 2000s, when Lutz greenlit GM’s first all-out efforts in the world of go-fast family haulers, with a bit of help from Australia.

This was post-financial crisis, when the rescued Chrysler Group LLC elected not to lend the Challenger’s fresh-for-’09 pistol-grip six-speed transmission to its four-door Charger. Ford, meanwhile, altogether sat out the V-8 sedan party to focus company finances and market the EcoBoost line. Over at GM, Lutz & Co. pulled off successive launches of the Australian Holden Commodore-based Pontiac G8 GXP and the second-gen Cadillac CTS-V (V2). Both offered comfortable seating for four adults, big V-8 power, and an optional clutch pedal. They got rave reviews, too, but in the Great Recession economy that didn’t necessarily matter.

Just one year into its lifecycle, the GXP was put out to pasture (along with its 86-year-old parent company) as part of corporate fat-trimming at GM, cosponsored by Uncle Sam. Luckily, the 556-hp Cadillac was sent into the next decade and carried the domestic driver’s sedan torch. Then, as the early 2010s progressed, rumors buzzed about the G8 getting a second lease on life—this time as a Chevy.

When those rumors came to pass, it was on the wings of Holden’s updated VF-generation Commodore, which was converted to left-hand drive, affixed with Bowties, and given the “SS” moniker for American consumption. The Chevrolet SS arrived just in time for the Cadillac CTS-V to go automatic-only, leaving Chevy as the sole option for an American looking to row their own gears in a new V-8 sedan. Then, just four years later, GM showed its Australian manufacturing branch the same axe that ended Pontiac, and the SS disappeared.

Now, just as GM is poised to re-enter the four-door, six-speed stick, eight-cylinder sedan market as the only player in 2021, values of its three previous entrants in the space have experienced a convergence of values. A grand total of 1828 2009 Pontiac G8 GXPs were shipped to the U.S. from Down Under, and 846 (46 percent) of those were optioned with three pedals. If you are able to unearth one of these stars of Hagerty’s 2019 Bull Market List in concours-ready condition, prepare to part with $46,200 of your hard-earned dollars (about 15 percent more than its original MSRP) to take it home. A #2 (Excellent) condition example is worth $34,200.

By comparison, with a total build-out of 1400 units over six years, we’re almost spoiled for choice with regard to manual CTS-V sedans. Those were joined by an additional 9365 automatic-equipped cars, for a paltry take rate of 13 percent for the stick-shift option. In the Hagerty Price Guide, the former four-door Nürburgring King commands $51,000 in #1 (Concours) condition or $43,000 in #2 (with a -10 percent deduction for an automatic). That’s several grand more on average than a G8 GXP in similar condition, but unlike the last great Pontiac, V2 CTS-Vs are still trading at less than their original buy-in by about 13 percent. CTS-Vs were also available in coupe (9567 built, 1239 with manual) and station wagon (1767 built, 514 with manual) forms. Coupes are worth a few grand more than the sedan, while manual wagons in #1 condition have climbed to $83,400—dangerously close to the new Blackwing’s starting price.

As for the Chevy SS, it mostly flew under the radar when it was new, but the sedan has become a relatively in-demand enthusiast’s ride since. Its excellence as a driver’s car earned it comparisons to E39 BMW M5 across the automotive media landscape, and since it bowed out, more people have clued into its brilliance. Between 2014 and 2017, Chevrolet imported 12,924 SS Sedans. After the initial run of 3527 automatic-only 2014s, a sophomore-year update brought back the manual and added Magnetic Ride Control as standard. Out of the 3168 SSs built for the ’15 model year, 624 of them were bestowed with the third pedal. 2016 brought another slew of updates, including a revised front fascia, functional hood vents, a new wheel design, and dual-mode exhaust.

Total sales fell to 2221 in ’16, but nearly 100 more manuals were sold in its second year of availability. The final year of the SS experiment ended up being its most successful. A total of 4008 were sold, and 1310 people opted to do the shifting themselves. Would-be Blackwing customers, that means this country has 2647 stick-shift SSs for you to track down. But if you find one, buy it quick! A manual SS rarely lasts a week after it’s listed in today’s market, and clean examples are worth between $40,000 and $50,000 in the Hagerty Price Guide, or just above original sticker prices.

So, if you can’t quite swing a brand-new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, the next-best thing can be yours for 50 grand or less. Let the early adopters flood Cadillac dealers, while you pray for swift depreciation and in the meantime enjoy your pick of the Blackwing’s three renowned predecessors. This aging breed of V-8 sport sedan is almost extinct from showrooms, but collector-grade examples in the used market should have plenty of life in them for the foreseeable future.

For more analysis of the classic car market, head over to Hagerty Insider. Like what you see? You can get a dose of Insider delivered to your inbox every Sunday by signing up for our newsletter.

The post The new CT5-V Blackwing is pricey, but GM’s V-8 sport sedan forebears are prime for the taking appeared first on Hagerty Media.

When enthusiasts pick design details on vehicles to obsessively critique, the front-end bits usually get all the attention. Grilles, scoops, emblems, and ornaments are all proudly displayed in the front of a vehicle and clamor for attention. Nobody seems to have a favorite trunk.

We noticed a trend, particularly on GM coupes, in which designers seemed to push the envelope and see just how much they could get away with when it comes to radical rear glass. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window may have debuted in 1953, but some of the best-looking rear windows came out in the decades that followed. As windshields became nearly flat after the bubble-top era, the backlite—the technical design term for “rear window” or “rear glass”—was one part of the greenhouse that was still up for some ambitious experimentation. Here are some of our favorites.

1963–67 Chevrolet Corvette

You knew this list had to include the split-window 1963 Corvette coupe. Yes, it’s an iconic design and yes, that center spine does add to the already striking lines of the ’63 Sting Ray, but the 1964–67 Corvette still offers traffic-stopping good looks thanks in part to that teardrop fastback roofline and deeply curved rear glass.

1971–73 Buick Riviera

Buick’s big personal luxury coupe was unlike anything else on the market—except for that big curved rear glass, which did resemble that on the recently-departed Sting Ray. The big Buick coupe took the tapering cockpit theme even further than the Corvette did, with ’71 and ’72 Rivieras wearing a boat-tail stretched from the decklid into the bumper and culminated in a sharp point. The 1973 model smoothed the lines out a bit, but the look is still striking.

1977–79 Chevrolet Impala/Caprice

Despite being ridiculed by car fans the world over, the Malaise Era did have some gems. We present Exhibit B-body, the 1977–79 full-size Chevy coupes. OK, so the bumpers are bit clunky, we admit. But just look at how simple and clean the rest of the car manages to look. The Landau coupes, with their painted C-pillars and rear roof sections, even managed to present vinyl tops in a fresh way. Of course, the crowning touch is the sharply beveled rear glass.

1977–78 Oldsmobile Toronado XS

Not to be outdone with the creased rear glass showcased in Chevrolet’s B-bodies, Oldsmobile created the Toronado XS. Its extreme wraparound rear window was something that hadn’t been seen since the swoopy styling of the 1960s and set the Toronado XS apart from its competitors in the expanding personal luxury segment. Only about 2700 were built, and they’re a rare sight today.

1978–87 Chevrolet El Camino/GMC Caballero

Yes, the El Camino is still a coupe; it’s just a coupe utility. The final generation of El Camino and only generation of GMC Caballero brought a slightly longer wheelbase than their predecessors—previous GMC utes were called Sprints—despite looking far more trim and compact. They also had a seriously curved rear window. The sloping C-pillar hides most of the unique rear window, but one look from the rear three-quarter reveals how GM neatly separated the cab from the bed with a single, deeply curved piece of glass.

1986–87 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and 1986 Pontiac Grand Prix Aerocoupe

When you think of NASCAR homologation specials that brought superspeedway aerodynamics to showroom floors, you no doubt imagine the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Charger Daytona. Your next few contenders might be the Torino Talladega and Charger 500. Eventually, you might remember the Monte Carlo Aerocoupe and its similar (but not identical) Pontiac Grand Prix 2+2 Aerocoupe sibling.

These cars didn’t come with a whole lot of muscle like their aerodynamic ’60s predecessors, and Joe Dirt never drove one, but their impact on NASCAR was still important. Pontiac made around 1100 of its fastback coupe while Chevrolet sold 200 Aerocoupes in 1986 and several thousand in 1987. They allowed GM to put a much-improved profile on its NASCAR racers and helped drivers like Dale Earnhardt bring Chevrolet back to the winners circle after Ford’s slippery Thunderbird proved tough to beat.

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The post Rear Window: 6 GM coupes with dazzling back glass appeared first on Hagerty Media.

General Motors is in on the cusp of a massive technological overhaul, recently declaring its intent to go all-electric by 2035. Building EVs is one thing, but convincing mainstream new-car shoppers—almost all electric novices—to buy in? That’s a whole different ballgame. Whether it’s access to charging infrastructure, cost, or longstanding attachment to internal combustion engines, there are a lot of obstacles standing in the way of widespread electrification. Fear of the unknown certainly plays a role.

Like most Americans, my electric car experience was limited to a golf cart. What better way to get familiar with the new wave of battery-powered transportation than to take up Chevrolet on its invitation test out the new 2022 Bolt EUV crossover?

The Bolt hatchback launched for the 2017 model year, becoming GM’s first all-electric car since the limited-run EV1 of the 1990s. Though the original Bolt had an impressive 238 miles of range and pleasant driving dynamics, the roughly $42,000 price before tax incentives was perhaps a bit steep. Chatter around the Bolt since its arrival hasn’t exactly been thunder and lightning; sales have steadily declined from 23,297 in 2017 down to 16,419 in 2019, but a promising 26 percent sales resurgence in 2020 (to 20,754 units sold) could be a sign of some momentum ahead of the Bolt’s mid-cycle refresh. This time around, Chevrolet is banking on a three-letter formula for success: E-U-V.

The EUV is a new Bolt variant, lifted up so that the all-electric hatchback presents more as a crossover. According to chief engineer Jesse Ortega, passionate consumer feedback from current Bolt EV owners was the motivation behind this addition, among other improvements.

“What [consumers] kept telling us was … refine the interior, refine the seats. They wanted adaptive cruise control across the range, but they were also looking for more SUV-inspired styling.” Back at the drawing board, Chevrolet dreamed up a Bolt EUV that was 0.2 inches taller, 0.2 inches wider, and 6.3 inches longer, with an additional three inches of legroom in the rear. The more “vertical” styling cues exaggerate the height, but the additional length (2.9 inches of additional wheelbase) is a game-changer.

Underpinning all three Bolt EUV trims (LT, Premier, and Launch Edition) is the same all-electric propulsion system from the outgoing Bolt hatchback. A 65-kWh lithium-ion battery pairs to a single-motor front drive unit capable of 200 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. It dishes out plenty of right-away thrust with just a tap on the pedal, which is reassuring off the line in city traffic. For the standard Bolt hatchback, range is 259 miles—unchanged since the 2020 model that first benefitted from improved battery-cell energy density compared to the original lithium-ion pack. Naturally, the 90-pound heavier EUV loses a shade of range in comparison to its smaller sibling: 250 miles fully charged. As for all-wheel drive, it would both add cost and cut range given the current battery options.

The most important of the 2022 Bolt’s features, Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving, will only be available on the mid-tier Premier and top-spec Launch Edition. The Bolt EUV LT will start at $33,995 with destination fees (for context, the standard Bolt is $31,995). Premier pricing climbs to $38,495, and the Launch Edition settles at $43,495. Those prices are roughly $5000 less than last year’s new 2021 model, reflecting that there are (for now) no more federal tax incentives for GM EVs purchased after March 31, 2020.

More good news: All new Bolts, through the end of June 2021, include the option for free home installation of a Level 2 (240-volt) charging port. (The same plug now works for both 110-volt Level 1 and 240-volt Level 2 charging.) An at-home Level 2 charger is a must for would-be owners, and charging from fully-depleted to empty using this type of charger takes up to 7 hours. Using a public Level 3 DC fast charger, the Bolt EUV can add 95 miles of range in 30 minutes.

Inside, the EUV is noticeably more spacious than the standard Bolt. At six-foot-three, I’d feel a lot less guilt with a passenger behind me if they had the added 3 inches of legroom; salespeople should have no problem convincing people to chip in a little extra cash for the EUV’s added real estate. Rear cargo volume (with the seats up) is slightly higher in the standard Bolt EV, but once the seats drop the EUV has a considerable edge.

A new triangle-themed texture on the seats and dash does a decent job spicing up what was more flat and drab surfacing on the outgoing Bolt. Also new for 2022 is a revised gear selector with easy-to-use buttons replacing the traditional gear lever. The flushly integrated setup moves the cupholders back and into a more convenient location, while also freeing up the area under the touchscreen for phone storage.

What struck me first about driving my first EV is the comparative lack of familiar sensory cues. There’s no ignition noise or rumble when the Bolt turns on, just the gauges and touchscreen illuminating when you hit the glowing blue start button. No clunk into gear as you press the “D” button to engage drive, either. Torque arrives in a snap, confidently pushing the driver back into the seat in response to throttle pressure. At first I was a bit too heavy on the pedal, yielding a screech of protest from the front tires—not the noise I expected to hear from a car many of my Northern Michigan neighbors would probably consider wimpy.

This direct response from the Bolt’s powertrain encourages playful inputs, which feels strangely out of sync with gradual deceleration that the regenerative braking provides. Merging onto the interstate in the Bolt EUV was a cinch, with plenty of pep from the electric motor to get the little lifted crossover up to speed. The car’s reasonably small footprint and responsive throttle make passing and lane changing equally simple. One sore point: the HD Rear Vision Camera. It’s basically a live-feed rear-view mirror that works well and feels natural. However, if you flip the device to the traditional mirror view using the little tab mounted on the bottom, rear visibility suffers. If that camera were to become covered in snow or salt, the analog view isn’t ideal.

While the HD Rear Vision Camera is nice, Super Cruise is a much more impressive bit of technology. The semi-autonomous driving function works via LiDAR mapping that includes data on over 200,000 miles of major American and Canadian interstate. Super Cruise allows operators driving on the highway to go fully hands-free at the wheel with the push of a button, using the Bolt’s adaptive cruise control system to handle speed, deceleration and acceleration in response to changing traffic, and lane keeping. At first it’s fairly unsettling, but the system is so reassuring and precise that it quickly earns your trust. Super Cruise won’t engage until the vehicle is perfectly centered in the lane, and from there the system has no trouble maintaining that position. Using a steering column-mounted camera, the Bolt carefully monitors your eyes in order to assess attention levels, prompting you with visual and audio cues to take back control if your gaze wanders for too long. More than anything else, the weirdest part was not knowing what to do with my hands.

The Bolt EUV’s updated infotainment system is user-friendly for anyone with an elementary understanding of smartphones/Bluetooth pairing and is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring software. The 10.2-inch display scrolls fluidly, and even the farthest corners of the touchscreen are within reach from the driver’s seat. Just don’t look at it too long while Super Cruising, lest the friendly green light bar on the steering wheel turn red and angry.

After 20 or so miles of doing absolutely nothing behind the wheel of a car that was effectively driving itself, I conducted a series of unscientific tests. These included:

• Talking conversationally to an imaginary passenger with a turned head (looks totally not crazy to other motorists)
• Turning to yell at an imaginary child in the back seat (slightly more crazy)
• Gazing out the side window (curious, based on how longing the gaze is)
• Looking at the infotainment screen (totally normal)
• Reclining out of upright posture in the seat (the monitoring system, correctly, hates this)
• Retrieving a dropped phone between the seat and center console (the most likely reason, after scrolling Instagram, that people will take their eye off the wheel for an extended period of time)

All of the scenarios above prompted the illuminated green bar to blink atop the wheel for roughly ten seconds. When the bar flashes red, you know you’ve done wrong and the car begins to slow down awaiting your inputs. This iteration of Super Cruise in the Bolt EUV is incapable of automatic lane changes, and when the driver takes over —say, to make a lane change—the green bar will change to blue.

Those intervening human controls bring out Super Cruise’s most annoying tendencies, because the machine loathes human imperfection. Too much sway to one side or the other will prompt the system to re-calibrate to a middle position in the center of the lane with a fair amount of force through the steering wheel. Bad human!

GM engineers insist that experience hours for drivers are what’s key to trusting the system. Confidence most certainly varies by user, but the real X factor that limits Super Cruise behavior is other drivers on the road. Unlike a human, Super Cruise can’t anticipate erratic driving—only react to it. If a human driver sees a car swerving in its lane, they will make sure to keep a lot of distance and tread lightly, while a computer can’t make those kind of judgement calls.

Given that the EUV Premier starts just north of $38,000, the optional Super Cruise software ($2200) pushes that price above the $40,000 mark. Even still, Chevy is packing its mainstream EV with a lot of impressive technology at a reasonable value. (Super Cruise will remain active for three years from the date of purchase, after which point it requires a $25 monthly subscription.)

Unfortunately, the Bolt’s biggest limiting factor isn’t technology or cost. Charging infrastructure across America is at the moment insufficient to make any EV the sole household vehicle for the average driver, so the Bolt will continue to attract buyers who already own an internal-combustion vehicle but want to supplement it with a city runabout. The trick is that owners have to plan anything outside of the usual commuting and errand-running around range and access to charging stations. There simply are not charging stations at every highway exit, although GM says it is partnering with EVgo to help triple the number of fast chargers nationwide with more than 2700 new units by the end of 2025.

If you’re still skeptical of EVs, consider giving them a shot. Even if the exercise is a matter of friends close/enemies closer, driving the Bolt makes the future seem a lot less scary. Silent operation, plenty of space, and a torquey motor are all appealing—even fun in the right circumstances. More than anything else, the Bolt is a cleverly designed people mover for serious commuters, and it doesn’t cost a fortune. If this is GM’s avant-garde of the EV revolution, a stronger charging network is about all the automaker should need to spark the fuse.

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier

Base price: $38,495

Highs: Fun in the corners, comfy on the highway, priced competitively.

Lows:  Restrained by virtue of charging limitations, Sport mode does virtually nothing, rear visibility suffers when HD camera is unavailable.

Sum-up: An urbanite’s best friend, the spacious Bolt EUV lets you enjoy the ride with hands on or off.

The post Review: 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV Premier appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Super Bowl LV was light on drama—Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took care of that by coasting to a 31-9 victory over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. We also expected automotive advertising to lighten up and play it safe this year. In fact, with politics, social unrest, and COVID-19 dominating the headlines these days, many big-name advertisers skipped the game entirely, a list that includes Ram, Hyundai, and Kia.

Bill Oberlander, cofounder of New York ad agency Oberland, told the New York Post that “rather than spend tens of millions of dollars and not get it right, (advertisers decided to) wait until this s***storm clears.”

Hats off to those car-related businesses that threw caution to the wind, doled out $5.5 million for a 30-second spot, and went for it, either through humor or by tugging at our heartstrings. Most of them scored.

TOUCHDOWN

Vroom.com: “Dealership Pain”

The best comedians have the ability to take uncomfortable situations that we can all relate to and make them funny. And who can’t relate to sometimes-arduous task of buying a used car? Vroom.com, which offers “an easier way to buy cars online” (including having your new purchase delivered directly to your door), nailed its Super Bowl debut.

Vroom’s 30-second spot begins with an exhausted potential car buyer—sweating profusely, his wrists taped to a chair—begging for mercy from a relentless salesman.

“So, you going to buy the car?”

“Please, if I can just go home and discuss things with my wife. I’ve been here all weekend.”

“You can leave any time you want,” the salesman says, touching jumper cable leads together and making them spark. As the salesman moves closer, the potential buyer falls to the floor and is suddenly transported to his front yard, where he’s sitting in a different chair—a lawn chair—next to his wife, enjoying a sunny day. A Vroom flatbed truck rolls up to deliver a new car. “Wow, that was painless,” he says. Boom, Vroom.

Toyota: “Jessica Long Upstream”

How do you make a great car commercial without showing a single car? Ask Toyota’s marketing team, which proved it definitely has a knack for it. In a 60-second spot titled “Upstream,” Toyota told the life story of Jessica Long, one of the most accomplished Paralympic athletes in U.S. history. Born with a rare medical condition, she had to have both legs amputated below the knee as a baby, but that didn’t dissuade her adoptive parents, who brought her home from an orphanage in Siberia. In the years that followed, Long overcame her disability to become a champion swimmer—so far she’s won 23 medals in four Paralympic Games.

Toyota effectively told Long’s story by having her “swim” through key moments in her life, and she touches the pool wall and captures another victory just as her current mother and father agree to adopt her. “We believe there is hope and strength in all of us” appears on the screen, a moment that brings goosebumps, appreciation, and pride. Well done.

GM: “No Way Norway”

Did you know that Norway sells more EVs per capita than the U.S.? Will Ferrell didn’t, and he’s bound and determined to do something about it.

In General Motors’ funny ad titled “No Way, Norway,” Ferrell enlists the help of fellow Saturday Night Live icon Kenan Thompson and singer/actress Awkwafina (don’t feel bad; we had to Google her too) to show the Norwegians who’s boss. There are plenty of made-for-Ferrell gags—for instance, he punches a globe, can’t shake it off, and ends up wearing it throughout the commercial. His best line? “We’re going to crush those lugers.”

In the end, Thompson and Awkwafina, in a GMC Hummer EV, wind up in Finland, and Ferrell exits his Cadillac Lyriq and admits that Norway is “adorable,” except he’s in Sweden. “Damn it!” Since even a spitting-mad Ferrell is a funny Ferrell, we’re guessing no one on the other side of the Atlantic is losing any sleep over his threats. But be warned, based on the final script: “We’re coming, Norway.”

Jeep: “The Middle”

Rocker Bruce Springsteen, appearing in his first Super Bowl commercial, narrated and starred in Jeep’s two-minute ($22 million) dissertation urging Americans to settle their differences and find middle ground. To emphasize the message, Springsteen visits a tiny church in Lebanon, Kansas, located at the geographic center of the contiguous U.S.  The Boss even drives a sweet classic CJ.

Ford: “Finish Strong”

Same feel-good, come-together vibe as Jeep, except the Blue Oval targets the pandemic instead of the social divide (and spent $11M less). Actor Brian Cranston’s voiceover encourages us to “hold the line” and “look out for each other” because we’re close to getting back to “loving, touching, living.” Solid message from Ford in its first Super Bowl commercial since 2017.

FIELD GOAL

Weather Tech: “We Never Left” and “Family”

Weather Tech’s salute to the American worker had a good message (“We never left”), and who doesn’t want to work for a company where everyone feels like family? In a high-stakes advertising game like the Super Bowl, however, it felt like a 65-yard field goal attempt that bounced off the crossbar. Great effort (x 2), but it came up a bit short.

Camping World: “We can’t afford it so you can”

Didn’t see this one? That’s because it didn’t run on CBS. The tongue-in-cheek commercial poked fun at all the high-priced hype with a great ad that focused on having fun outdoors—and you could only see it online. Why not spend the big bucks for a Super Bowl ad? Because that’s how you keep prices low. (Yes, it’s a stretch to include this spot in an automotive roundup, but since Camping World revolves around RVs, we let it slide.)

FUMBLE

Cadillac: “Edgar ScissorHandsFree”

The Cadillac Lyriq played well in Will Ferrell’s trek to Norway (above), but the luxury automaker’s attempt at humor in commercial no. 2 was a miss. The plot: Edward Scissorhands’ equally weird son, Edgar, dreams of driving a car, and Cadillac’s new touchless controls are just the ticket. Except they’re not, even with Winona Ryder reprising her movie role. This ad provoked more eye-rolling than smiles and laughter at our Super Bowl party.

CarMax: “The Way It Should Be”

Wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. This is the Super Bowl. That ad could have played during Days of Our Lives. Definitely not “The Way It Should Be.” CarMax should have donated those advertising dollars to the creative team at …

Hyundai: “Noticeably Absent”

Dang it, Hyundai, why did you bail on the big game? You were on such a roll with Jason Bateman’s hysterical elevator ride in 2019 and last year’s hilarious Smaht Pahk! bit. When you have that kind of momentum, you shouldn’t waste it.

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We all know that General Motors finally did the mid-engine Corvette for which its first chief engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, lobbied through most of his career, and beyond. The C8 Corvette is indeed a reality, and it’s possibly the best sports car for the money in the whole world.

Don’t forget, though, that GM’s first mid-engine car launched 36 years earlier in 1984: the Pontiac Fiero. Sold to conservative GM corporate leaders by Pontiac Division as a fuel-efficient two-seat commuter with the compact X-car’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and transaxle (four-speed manual or three-speed automatic) behind its cockpit, the Fiero would soon after evolve into a real sports car. The two-seater’s initial appeal was its styling (penned by John Schinella’s Firebird-famous studio) and affordability, but both engine performance and handling were improved with each model year. A svelte fastback GT model and available 2.8-liter V-6 power followed, and the Pontiac even racked up some credible racing credentials. Nevertheless, like all other two-seaters except the Corvette, GM killed it after five model years.

How did this bright idea turn into a money loser with a poor quality reputation? To put it simply: cost-cutting. Fiero’s steel space frame wore a plastic skin for low tooling cost, rust- and dent-resistance, easy replacement, and inexpensive restyling. GM thought this was the way of the future and later built some minivans the same way. The Fiero used a lot of GM parts-bin components—including X-car front suspension turned 180 degrees in back (along with the engine/transaxle) and subcompact Chevette short/long-arm suspension with rack-and-pinion steering up front—again, to keep its cost down.

Take one: A tough case to make

Just getting the Fiero approved was a difficult prospect from the outset, and doing so required compromise and sacrifice. Remember, GM in those days had five car divisions led by general managers with corporate VP titles and company president power, all operating almost independently with product lines that overlapped and often competed with one another. Each division did most of its own engineering—including designing, developing and building its own engines—but the GM dictated what products each division could work on and allocated money for them.

Pontiac, sitting between low-price Chevrolet and near-luxury Oldsmobile, wanted to distinguish itself as a youthful and sporty brand. “I’d been pushing for a two-seater for years,” said Elliott M. “Pete” Estes, who was Pontiac chief engineer from 1956–61 and then general manager from 1961–65. “But [they] would look at the market and say, ‘What the heck do we want to get into that business for? The Corvette’s covering part of that segment anyway.’ My idea, though, was to get into a different end of the market, put together a toy for the kids in college or high school, and try to keep the price way down below the Corvette’s.”

Estes and his chief engineer, the up-and-coming John Z. DeLorean, got serious about a two-seater in early 1963. They had Dick Denzer’s Advanced Engineering Group cobble up an experimental chassis (coded XP-833) and ship it to GM Design Staff, where Paul Gillan’s Advanced Studio crafted in clay a lovely little convertible with sweeping fenders—much like what would later distinguish the C3 Corvette in 1968.

Three test mules and two running prototypes were built: one powered by Pontiac’s soon-to-come 230-cubic-inch, SOHC inline-six, the other by a 360-cu-in V-8. Estes lobbied GM management to approve it for production, but it was an uphill battle from the start. Even the Corvette lost money in its early years, and Ford’s initial 1955–57 Thunderbird sold poorly compared to the ’58-and-later four-seat T-Birds.

When Estes was promoted to Chevrolet general manager in July 1965, the dynamic DeLorean moved up in rank to replace him. Ford’s youthful and affordable four-seat Mustang was by that point already a runaway success; Chevrolet was working hard on its competing Camaro; and DeLorean was more certain than ever that a fun, affordable two-seater would be just the ticket to establish Pontiac’s position in America’s fast-emerging youth market. According to an elaborate proposal put together by Bill Collins, the engineer who had led the XP-833 (now Banshee) program, it would use 80 percent production Tempest parts and wear a fiberglass skin over a steel structure, and it could be ready as a 1967 model. It would sell for around $2500, roughly equal to the Mustang and $500 less than the MGB, Triumph TR-4, and Austin Healey 3000 British roadsters of the day. GM brass, however, fed up with DeLorean’s persistence, instead offered a version of the Camaro that became the 1967 Firebird.

Take two: A move to mid-engine

A decade passed before a window opened for Pontiac’s would-be two-seater. In late 1978. Pontiac strategic planning manager Denny O’Donnell and his two-man staff, Donald “Parky” Parkinson and Tom Kalush, were brainstorming future product ideas for a quarterly Future Product Conference (FPC) led by Pete Estes, who was by then GM president. Estes had asked each division to propose long-range plans to meet accelerating Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, and O’Donnell’s boss, Product Planning manager Courtney Jones, included something very different and special in Pontiac’s proposal.

“We were coming down to the wire,” O’Donnell said. “FPC was a week away. Finally, late one night, the three of us were in a little back room at Product Planning, trying to figure out what we could write into this pitch for Courtney that would meet his requirements.”

As Kalush recalled, “We wanted to put together a very competitive, aggressive product lineup that would also hit our CAFE targets. Suddenly Denny said, ‘Hey, we ought to dust off the old two-passenger sports-car idea!’ A light little car like that would give us good fuel economy in what we thought would be a very marketable product.” Of course, Estes was inclined to such a vehicle.

At the October 1978 FPC, Pontiac once again pitched a two-seater, this time with a GM president at the other end of the table who had requested the same thing a decade prior. Jones described it as a small, sporty commuter—not a sports car. According to O’Donnell, Estes said: ‘I see you’ve got my two-passenger car in there. Not so dumb.’” Estes suggested building a concept car to demonstrate to the Product Policy Group (PPG).

Parkinson put together a presentation that he showed to Worldwide Product Planning, Design Staff, and other corporate staffs, which generated some buzz. His plan was to graft a sporty body onto a front-wheel-drive “J-Car” (the eventual 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier/Pontiac Sunbird/Oldsmobile Firenza/Buick Skyhawk/Cadillac Cimarron) platform, the same way Ford had created the two-seat Ford EXP and Mercury LN-7 on the bones of its front-drive Escort.

Enter Turkish-born ace engineer Hulki Aldikacti, who had dreamed for years of creating exactly the car Parkinson was pushing. “As soon as Hulki heard about what we’d proposed, his eyes lit up,” O’Donnell recalled. Aldikacti asked GM Advanced Design Studio chief Ron Hill to explore a look for the little two-seater, but it wasn’t long before everyone agreed that the front-drive J-Car idea was flawed. Not only was its cowl (at the base of the windshield) too tall, its transverse engine and MacPherson strut front suspension would cause both aesthetic and aerodynamic problems.

“You put a tall hood on a short car and it looks like a midget truck,” Hulki said, “Shorten a front-engine car, it looks ugly. We had to find a different combination to make the car look right—a mid-engine design. It’s an obvious engineering solution. The Fiat X1/9 was done the same way.” Hulki had the shop bolt an X-Car engine and powerplant cradle on the back of a chassis plate and build a plywood “stick” car around them. The setup looked promising.

By that time, Pontiac had a new general manager, Bob Stempel, a strong product man and auto enthusiast. Stempel was so impressed with the mockup he grinned ear-to-ear when he first saw it, and it wasn’t long before he pitched it to Estes, GM president. Pontiac execs figured it would cost about a million to build a prototype, and Estes quipped that a creative general manager and chief engineer should be able to scrape up that much. “That was all Hulki needed,” said O’Donnell. “He went off like a firecracker, hell-bent for election.”

Over the next four years, Aldikacti and his top assistant, Ed Falardeau, would engineer this two-seat “P-Car,” or “P-body” program and a whole new way to produce it. Hill’s advanced designers would shape it; John Schinella’s Pontiac production studio would fine-tune its appearance; Stempel would protect, nurture, and champion it through early development; and Parkinson would sell and resell it almost continuously until it reached production. It was a team effort, with buy-in from all corners of Pontiac.

Fine style, fiery name, and unique build

When production approval finally came in April 1980, the P-Car moved from Hill’s Advanced Studio to Schinella’s Pontiac Exteriors II (which also did the Firebirds and Trans Ams) and Pat Furey’s Pontiac Interior studios. The two toughest changes Schinella’s team had to make were moving the cockpit forward and increasing the windshield angle to a fast 63 degrees, which helped the car’s looks and improved its weight distribution and aerodynamics.

“The roof got changed in section,” Schinella explained, “and we extended the length of the windshield in plan view. That shortened the hood, and then we cut five inches off the nose. We were trying to find the right proportion with a longer tail and shorter front end because the car looked a little strange with a long nose. We wanted to give it more of a mid-engine look, and mid-engine cars seem to enjoy a longer higher rear. This got us right down to some magic dimensions that people liked, and it helped the car a lot.”

Inside, the car got new electronically driven gauges (no cables), new radios and heater/air conditioning controls, “aircraft-look” inner door handles, and new-design seats. “We’re really proud of the development that went into the seats,” said Bill Scott, who took over the interior studio after Furey moved to Chevrolet. “They’re Lear-Siegler seats, but Fisher Body was involved in the engineering development, and so was Pontiac. We were developing this new philosophy of contoured seats for Pontiac, and we wanted the ones in this car to be especially good.” Scott’s studio also developed an optional fleece seat insert and the Jon Albert-designed winged stallion logo.

Why a horse logo? Because at that point, the car was going to be called Pegasus. Other ideas included Sprint and Sunfire, and designer Schinella proposed Fiamma. “It means ‘first love of the heart, flame, excitement,’ in Italian,” he related. But the dealers hated that one. They thought it ought to be something like Firebird XP. “In the studio,” Schinella continued, “we all felt an Italian name was very appropriate, especially with a few of us being of Italian descent. That next Saturday, while thumbing through the Italian dictionary at home … I tripped on the word Fiero. It means ‘very proud.’”

To settle on a name, the team piled into a room behind a locked the door and wouldn’t leave until a decision was made. Each name was up on the wall, and team members had five minutes to sell their favorite. It came down to three: Fiamma, Sunfire, and Fiero. Fiamma was maybe a bit sleek, Sunfire too dated. Fiero was the one.

Aldikacti and his assistant developed the build process, which was cutting-edge for a production vehicle. Borrowing from methods used in race-car construction, they gave it a full space-frame structure completely independent of its outer body panels. The inner metal frame carried the exterior plastic panels, which were fastened with a quick-mount system. The result was well-managed surface seams and alignments to within thousandths of an inch.

Despite tough market conditions and GM’s first red-ink year in modern times—during a deep economic recession in the early 1980s, a nerve-wracking string of delays and cancellations, a new Pontiac general manager, two new chief engineers, and a new vehicle chief engineer—the Fiero came to market in the fall of 1983, as a 1984 model. This “commuter car” was no doubt one of GM’s best-looking products on four wheels, powered by a 92-hp 2.5-liter four and wearing a reasonable $7999 price tag.

Burned up in a flash

The Fiero surged off to a surprisingly strong start in its debut year, with 136,840 built and sold, but quality problems and engine issues soon damaged its reputation. The four-cylinder suffered oil starvation issues (the result of an incorrectly marked dipstick, as well as early official owner and service manuals indicating a three-quart oil pan, rather than the actual four) and there were other issues that even resulted in fires. Production fell nearly in half to 76,371 for 1985, despite the arrival of the sports-car quick and agile GT model, motivated by a 140-hp 2.8-liter V-6, which accounted for 22,534 of that total. Sales recovered slightly for 1986, before dropping off severely in the subsequent years until GM stopped the bleeding after the 1988 model year.

Other than the Corvette, GM’s two-seater track record is spotty at best. Following the Fiero were the Buick Reatta and Cadillac Allanté, followed by the Corvette-based XLR. None were successful, and even the Bob Lutz-backed Pontiac Solstice and its derivatives hardly fared better. The Fiero was a brave and hopeful idea with genuine support, but despite the little Pontiac’s obvious advancements and V-6 spunk, the promising project ended just how GM brass in the ’60s feared it would.

The post Pontiac’s mid-engine Fiero was a long time coming, and then it flamed out appeared first on Hagerty Media.

In 1988, GM’s Oldsmobile brand introduced what it described as a new generation of cars under the tagline “This Is Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile.” The commercials featured celebrities like William Shatner and Ringo Starr paired with their adult children.

Oldsmobile was then possessed of a relatively old customer base. Although the brand’s storied history contained some notable performance cars, the division’s public image featured stodgy, boring vehicles and customers middle-aged or older. While the “not your father’s” line caught the public’s ear and continues to resonate in meme and cliché, it didn’t help revive the brand. In fact, that ad campaign is often seen as one of advertising’s classic failures, turning off Oldsmobile’s older customers without attracting the younger ones so badly wanted by the marque.

In my case, it really was my father’s Oldsmobile. In 1964, my father was 44, firmly in middle age. A couple of years later, he bought a fire-engine-red 1966 Delta 88. That car was his second Olds, the first being a 1958 model he acquired from his father-in-law. This ownership chain made the car not just my father’s Oldsmobile, but my grandfather’s Oldsmobile. When the latter parted with the ’58, he replaced it with a brand-new 1961 Olds 98 four-door.

Modern critics blame It’s Not Your Father’s Oldsmobile for the brand’s demise. Statistics, however, indicate that, although the slogan didn’t turn Oldsmobile’s fortunes, the brand was already in decline when that campaign was launched. Oldsmobile, founded in 1897 and dissolved in 2004, saw its annual sales peak in 1984, at just over 1.2 million vehicles. By 1988, when the slogan was introduced, production had already dropped by more than a third, to 764,134.

The late ’80s wasn’t the first time that Oldsmobile’s marketers missed the mark with the youth market. A while back, I found evidence of that fact in a pile of vinyl LPs that someone gave to me rather than throw out. My music collection includes hundreds of LPs, so I still have a turntable.

Don’t believe the hipsters; not all “vinyl” is collectible. Plenty of old “record collections” include mass-market recordings like freebie promotional discs. RCA even had a special distribution channel and secondary label for promotional records. One of the LPs I was gifted is just such an RCA promo release, from 1964: Oldsmobile Spotlights the New Stars in Action (RCA Victor PRS 167). The only thing automotive about the album is its cover art, which features a whitewall tire and an Oldsmobile hubcap.

From the beginning of the industry, automotive marketers have generally had their fingers on the pulse of the public been quick to recognize societal changes. What was changing in 1964? Music, for one thing. In February of 1964, the Beatles first appeared on NBC’s influential and widely watched Ed Sullivan variety show, and The Rolling Stones would be on the same show that fall. Rhythm and blues and rock and roll were beginning to dominate the pop charts, and electric-guitar manufacturers could not keep up with demand.

Oldsmobile had its own association with those musical genres. The song generally regarded as kicking off the rock ‘n roll era was Ike Turner’s “Rocket 88,” a 1951 pop tune that that crossed over from the R&B charts and happened to be about an Oldsmobile.

One would think that, by 1964, the suits managing the brand might have been at least a little bit hip to new music. What did Oldsmobile and RCA pick to represent 1964’s “new stars in action?” This list:

Sergio Franchi: “More”
Ann-Margret: “The Best is Yet To Come”
Peter Nero: “I Want To Hold Your Hand”
Anthony Newley: “Solitude”
Ethel Ennis – He Loves Me
Dick Schory and His Percussion Pops Orchestra: “Hello Dolly”
Womenfolk: “Morning Dew”
John Gary: “Take Me In Your Arms”
Gale Garnett: “Prism Song”
Ed Ames: “But Beautiful”
Ketty Lester: “We’ve Come A Long Way”
Glenn Yarbrough: “San Francisco Bay Blues”

Viewed as anything other than a youth effort, the album doesn’t have a thing wrong with it. Feel free to give a listen and judge for yourself. The performances are professional and entertaining, but if GM thought these “new stars” would produce any action with young-adult consumers, they were mistaken. Nothing on the LP really reflects the massive changes then taking place in the world of music. I assume the songs were suggested by RCA, to promote certain house artists, and then approved by GM, which surely didn’t want to offend anyone with loud, long-haired music. The people involved with the project obviously knew of the Beatles—the album contains a cover version of “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” played by pianist Peter Nero and his orchestra—but the arrangement of the British band’s song is as far from the rocking original as you can get. (Nero based his neo-classical arrangement here on Percy Grainger’s pastoral “Country Garden,” which evokes thoughts of Allan Sherman’s parody, “Here’s To The Crabgrass,” not youth culture.)

With the exception of the two “folk songs” here and Glenn Yarbrough’s version of “San Francisco Bay Blues,” every track features a big-band arrangement with strings and horns. I suppose the two folk tunes were a nod to youth. The song “Morning Dew” was contributed by Womanfolk, an all-female folk band that, according to the liner notes, was “cresting the new wave of folk music from West Coast to East.” Gale Garnett is included here with “Prism Song,” from her album My Kind of Folk Songs. This is even more missing of the mark—although folk music had been quite popular with youth for some time, by 1964, the folk craze was dying, not cresting. One year later, at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, folk landmark Bob Dylan would famously “go electric,” prompting the country to turn away from the genre.

Don’t get me wrong: Many of the performers on the album were genuine stars in 1964, and they all had releases on RCA, one of the biggest major record labels that has ever been. Ann Margret, then 23, was probably the youngest performer on the album, and 23 is by no means old. For that matter, in 1964 as now, the radio held plenty of middle-of-the-road pop music, even on youth-oriented Top 40 stations. Louis Armstrong’s recording of “Hello Dolly” was a huge hit that year, breaking the Beatles’ string of three number-one hits in a row. Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and other more adult-oriented performers regularly charted in the mid-’60s, and the Beatles even covered show tunes like “Till There Was You,” from Meredith Willson’s hit Broadway musical The Music Man.

Recognizing that hindsight is 20:20, and that the past is a foreign country where they they do things differently, you can’t really fault the folks at Oldsmobile back then for using popular culture to sell cars. From a modern perspective, it looks as if RCA—or at least Oldsmobile—didn’t recognize a changing culture, but that may not necessarily be the case. The carmaker may have tried to change its image in the late ’80s, but as we can see from the brand’s promotional efforts, that image was well-set two decades earlier. The music on Oldsmobile Spotlights the New Stars in Action probably reflects the tastes of Olds customers in 1964 with some accuracy. Oldsmobile may have been trying to look au courant with an album like this, but they weren’t trying to sell cars to the youth market, at least then. The people running the brand knew what kind of vehicles they made and who their customers were.

If you want to add a copy of this album to your collection, fear not: Although the album’s cover art features the words “Collector’s Limited Edition,” it’s readily available on eBay and used-record sites.

The post Yes, it really was your father’s Oldsmobile appeared first on Hagerty Media.

General Motors—or, shall we say, gm—is launching its very own electrified and environmentally conscientious delivery service company named BrightDrop.

In the evolving fight over “last mile” deliveries, GM’s recent announcement takes a holistic approach, aiming to tackle nearly every step of the consumer goods journey. Such an ambitious project couldn’t possibly reach our ears without edgy visuals, of course. In tired, techy, pop culture fashion, BrightDrop says hello through an icon that layers a blocky lowercase “d” onto a “b” inside of a chat bubble. While the logo’s unlikely to get a supply chain manager’s juices flowing, the actual goods from BrightDrop promise to make that executive set down their oat milk latte.

The bell cow of BrightDrop is the EV600, an electric delivery truck aimed at the same commercial clientele as Ford’s recently announced E-Transit. BrightDrop’s truck boasts a larger range and a more capacious bay than the E-Transit thanks to GM’s Ultium battery architecture, a platform that offers up to 250 miles of range. That figure is roughly double the 126-mile stat thrown around for the low-roofed Ford E-Transit. The EV600 can tote around 600 cubic feet of cargo, whereas the E-Transit (though it sacrifices no capacity compared to ICE Transits) will only net you 404.3 cubic feet in its high-roof, extended-wheelbase configuration.

Both GM’s EV600 and Ford’s E-Transit are zero-emissions vehicles, but their combustion-free powertrains do more than assuage the end-consumer’s guilty environmental conscience. On a more serious note, 2020 has proven that a shake-up in normal leads to new ways of living. Demand for parcel deliveries has skyrocketed. Zero-emission deliveries are all for the better, and a virtually unanimous pursuit among automakers.

The main obstacle for GM and BrightDrop, however, will be the launching of a sales and service network that can rival Ford’s pre-existing commercial infrastructure. That’s the tricky thing about the sexy Venn diagram below. One of the circles has a lot of catching up to do, lest it begin to retard the others.

The EV600 van isn’t the only vehicle in BrightDrop’s portfolio. The EP1 delivery battle droid propulsion-assisted electric pallet offers something truly novel for deliveries. Electric hub motors power the lockable container to speeds up to 3 mph. An EP1 can corral 23 cubic feet of cargo for a 200-pound max payload, thus saving its human operators some work jogging around warehouses and up and down driveways.

Research conducted in partnership with FedEx Express is eye-opening. Pilot findings showed that the self-assisted EP1s enabled couriers to handle 25 percent more packages a day. Although there are many more studies to be done, GM’s Global Innovation branch has good reason to be optimistic about its new “first-to-last-mile” plan of attack.

“BrightDrop offers a smarter way to deliver goods and services,” said GM CEO Mary Barra. “We are building on our significant expertise in electrification, mobility applications, telematics and fleet management, with a new one-stop-shop solution for commercial customers to move goods in a better, more sustainable way.”

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Australia might be best known for kangaroos and koalas, but car nuts know the land Down Under better for Mighty Car Mods, burnout contests, and V8 Supercar racing. Sadly, the domestic production in Australia is all but dead. Ford left in 2016 and GM plans to pull out of the Australian market completely this year. GM fans were already in a tough spot with Holden discontinuing domestic production in 2017. Before ending production, though, Holden Special Vehicles (HSV) sent the domestically produced Zeta platform out with a bang. This effort culminated in handful of completely bonkers GTSR W1 Commodores and Maloo Utes, like this one that Lloyds has up for auction.

In a previous article we briefly touched on the very special Maloo that was up for grabs, but let’s take a closer look at the super-Ute that HSV concocted. The W1 took the already-bonkers GTSR package on the VF Commodore and Maloo and kicked up the heat. Instead of the 580-horse supercharged LSA engine, HSV went all in with a 636-hp LS9. This monster of an engine is the same powerplant from the C6 Corvette ZR1. This 6.2-liter engine isn’t just a standard block with a large blower on top, either. GM went with titanium connecting rods, a more aggressive cam, a dry-sump oiling system, and then added a 2.3-liter Eaton supercharger. Power is transferred through a Tremec T6060 close-ratio six-speed manual box to a limited-slip differential with electronic torque vectoring.

Despite all this power, the GTSR W1 isn’t just a fast car in a straight line. HSV intended this car to be as dynamic as possible. For instance, braking is handled by a massive set of six-piston brakes with two-piece rotors, measuring 410 mm (16 inches) in the front and 372 (14.6 inches) in the rear. The suspension is equipped with Suprashock parts. (For U.S. readers who may be unfamiliar, Suprashock provides suspension components for V8 Supercars series racing.) The handling upgrades are complemented by a set of Pirelli P Zero Trofeo R track tires.

What is perhaps most egregious about these cars is that America never got them. We got a 707-hp Challenger Hellcat and the 591-hp BMW M5, but GM deemed us unworthy of its Aussie super sedan. Perhaps this was due to an unwillingness to outshine the Corvette and Camaro, but most likely it was just the kind of cost-saving enterprise that drained the lifeblood out of Pontiac. Oh yes, we had the VF Commodore-based Pontiac G8 and Chevrolet SS, which GM did almost nothing to market. Yet another 2019 Blazer-sized disappointment to car enthusiasts from the once-great performance giant.

In all, HSV produced a total of 300 VF Commodore-based GTSR W1s and only four Maloo-based Utes. This 681-km (423-mile) 2017 Maloo finished in the striking “Light My Fire” which is up for auction has over two weeks remaining and is sitting at a whopping $735,000 AUD ($566,460 USD). Put in perspective, this is a vehicle that is nearly three times as rare as a ‘71 Hemi Cuda Convertible and a fraction of the price.

Given the rarity and value, this Ute will probably never be driven in anger as intended. It’ll probably sit in some lucky Aussie’s collection, unless an enterprising American with a serious budget can purchase and attempt to have it imported under a show-and-display exemption. We average folks can drool over the images and dream of what experiencing this V-8 monster must sound like in person.

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Even hardcore sports car addicts acknowledge there are situations where only a Hummer will do. Say, when the day’s work is done and the back forty beckons for an hour of berm bouncing. Or when a left-lane creeper needs a full-mirror-visible suggestion to get the hell out of the way. When garage space appears and there’s no towing/hauling/camping/weather-beater in the fleet. Yes, Ford Broncos are sweet, but Hummers truly thrive at the apogee of SUV need.

Like many American icons, Hummers are rooted in military service. By the mid-1960s, it was clear that service Jeeps designed in the heat of World War II were due a serious rethink. The Army’s more versatile replacement was dubbed High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle—thankfully abbreviated HMMWV. Manufacturers as unlikely as Lamborghini vied for the contract to supply the new combination weapons carrier and recon vehicle.

Design specs were finalized in 1979 for an unstoppable combat vehicle with excellent on- and off-road performance, the ability to carry heavy and bulky payloads, and the guts to take a bullet without flinching. Though 61 companies nibbled at the bait, only three—American Motors’s subsidiary AM General, Chrysler Defense, and Continental—submitted working prototypes. Eleven experimental units were tested for over 600,000 miles in conditions ranging from deserts to arctic climes. The initial M998-series specs called for a 5200-pound curb weight, a 2500-pound payload, 16 inches of ground clearance, 5 feet of fording capability, both gas and diesel engines, and a three-speed automatic transmission. Prices started just over $200,000 and the production run eventually topped 280,000 units. They are likely to remain in some form of service—in disaster relief assistance roles, for example—until 2050 or beyond.

In 1983, AM General won the initial contract to supply 55,000 vehicles over five years. By 1995, more than 100,000 units had been built for U.S. and friendly foreign customers. In 1989, when the U.S. invaded Panama, Hummers tasted battle for the first time in Operation Just Cause. During the Gulf War, the need for greater protection from small arms fire became evident, resulting in the deployment of the M1114 with added armor, a more powerful turbocharged engine, air conditioning, and a tougher suspension. Added occupant protection consisted of hardened steel plating and bullet-resistant glass. During its distinguished career, the flexible Hummer platform has borne weapons ranging from machine gun turrets to surface-to-air missiles.

Following the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hummers were deployed to Afghanistan where they served well in spite of their vulnerability to Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). By 2007, the Marines had better luck with their Mine-Resistant, Ambush-Protected (MRAP) vehicles equipped with serious armor. By 2012, the Army deemed Hummers “no longer feasible for combat.”

Hummer’s civilian life commenced in 1992 when AM General began offering H1s for sale to the public, the combined result of their high visibility role in Operation Desert Storm and support from actor Arnold Schwarzegger’s. From its launch to its showroom departure in 2006, the H1 offered a choice of three different Detroit Diesel V-8s, one Duramax V-8, and one GM gasoline V-8. These engines providing propulsion through a three- or four-speed automatic transmission, although the final model year offered a five-speed auto paired with the Duramax. The list of body styles included a four-door hard top, a wagon, a two-door pickup, a four-door “slantback,” and a soft-top convertible. With corners as crisp as a drill sergeant’s hat brim and barn-flat sides, the H1 prowled suburbs with authority.

In 1999, GM purchased the Hummer brand outright from AM General and added two new variants for sale at GMC dealers. The H2 used full-sized pickup underpinnings while the smaller H3 borrowed chassis parts from GM’s Colorado/Canyon compact pickup. All had four doors and a choice of SUV or open bed-body styles. AM General manufactured H1s and H2s in Indiana while GM built H3s alongside Chevy Colorados at its Louisiana plant. The greater Hummer family was sold in 33 foreign countries via export or local manufacturing.

After a decade on the market under GM ownership, poor fuel efficiency and mediocre demand caught up with Hummers. Attempts to pawn off the brand in 2009 never panned out, so leftover stock was sold with deep discounts as GM wobbled into bankruptcy.

Rising like Lazarus

Following GM’s resurrection and raging customer interest in SUVs, the Hummer nameplate stashed in a back closet could turn out to be the General’s lucky stroke. Another godsend: a Detroit plant perfect for manufacturing the coming wave of electric trucks as well as the batteries needed to power them.

During UAW contract negotiations, GM threw its workers a bone by offering them a chance to build new electric Cadillacs, Chevrolets, and mysterious “M-brand” models. In late 2019, without decoding the M label, CEO Mary Barra acknowledged that GM would be selling the new family of electrics two years hence.  During 2020 Super Bowl ads, NBA star LeBron James announced more details: that GMC dealers would sell a model labeled Hummer EV endowed with a remarkable 1000 hp. Chalk this up as the home team’s most aggressive response to Elon Musk’s auto industry disruption. The Detroit Free Press reports that 10,000 pre-orders are in already, and 1900 GMC dealers (about half) are planning to invest as much as $140,000 for the privilege of selling the Hummer EV.

Formerly called Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, GM’s new factory ZERO will use 5G connectivity to expedite computer-to-machinery communication. Nearly 1000 workers stripped away walls, the roof, and obsolete machinery to refurbish this 4.1-million-square-foot, historically significant plant and 2200 workers will eventually be employed there. In lieu of a moving assembly line, vehicles will move via automated carts that rise on cue to ease assembly operations. GM’s Ultium lithium-ion pouch-style battery cells and packs will also be made here. The total investment in factory ZERO will top $2.2 billion.

First out of the box will be the 2022 Hummer EV Edition 1, starting at $112,595. This flagship will be equipped with every imaginable feature: three AC motors totaling 1000 hp, air suspension, four-wheel steering with in-phase (Crab Mode) and out-of-phase (for tighter turning) modes, two electronic dash screens, removable transparent roof panels, a stepped tailgate, and Super Cruise hands-free driving. An awesome 11,500 lb-ft of torque at the axles hustles this EV to 60 mph in a claimed three seconds flat. It will provide 15.9 in of ground clearance, five drive modes, 32 inches of fording capability, and 350 miles of driving range. The EV’s crew cab body with 5-foot open bed will be supplemented by an SUV later. Additional models with prices well below $100,000 will follow.

Whether this outrageous EV redefines the Hummer brand for a new age remains to be seen, but for now there appears to be sufficient demand for such a sideshow. Without disclosing exactly how many customers bought a $100 reservation, GM announced that its October 21, 2020, Hummer EV Edition 1 offering was sold out. In all likelihood, it’ll come to market well before the Tesla Cybertruck.

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Today’s twist on the old saw about racing improving the breed is that competition also benefits the breeders’ skill set. General Motors confirmed that theory five years ago when the company’s Performance Driving Team (PDT) got a green light. The reason you probably haven’t heard of it is that they spend their time racing instead of tooting horns.

The PDT’s aim is to provide fresh engineering recruits a tantalizing opportunity to indulge their driving passions. Instead of sending them forth on dicey road-racing excursions, Wayne McConnell, GM’s executive director of performance integration and head of the company’s Milford, Michigan, proving grounds, selected a safer path: the Sports Car Club of America’s Autocross field. There, the most serious crash scenario is a spin-out that topples a traffic cone or two.

McConnell, with GM for 37 years, brought no personal motorsports experience to the party but was quick to realize the potential benefits of an in-house team of driving enthusiasts when that idea was proposed by a couple of young engineers with barely a year of employment under their belts. “The team quickly became a powerful recruiting tool,” McConnell explains. “We haul interviewing engineers by the busload to the Milford Black Lake dynamic test facility for hot laps in one of the autocross cars. Those who join GM invariably confirm that this experience is what tipped the employment balance in our favor.”

Support for the Performance Driving Team idea started with two Camaros that couldn’t be sold to customers, along with a $50,000 budget to cover tire and replacement part expenses. As the project gained momentum, the annual budget grew to encompass travel and lodging expenses.

Aside from its safety benefits compared to road racing, the SCCA Autocross series offers countless competition classes, several of which have minimal rules, thereby enabling creative tuning strategies. The street tire classes require rubber with a 180-tread-wear rating. Minimum curb weights are defined but this competition is for all intents “run what you brung.”

The two SS Camaros provided for the 2016 season were powered by 455-hp V-8s. Thirty team members began practicing every Saturday on a cone course laid out at the Milford Proving Grounds. At the end of the 2017 season, Shaun Bailey—who joined GM in 2012 with ample motorsports experience gained as Road & Track’s technical editor—won the CAM-C (Classic American Muscle, Contemporary) class championship with a Camaro SS 1LE equipped with Camaro ZLE 1LE suspension and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential upgraded via a team-designed calibration. His margin of victory over 52 competitors was half a second. By this point, the team had swelled to a couple hundred men and women.

Then, the team donned thinking caps. Realizing that handling invariably trumps horsepower in this venue, they “downgraded” their ride to a Camaro Turbo for 2018. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 275 horsepower, their new Camaro cut curb weight by a significant 300 pounds and shifted the car’s balance decisively rearward. Tuning measures included further lightening to reach the CAM-C class’s 3300-pound minimum weight, revised intake and exhaust systems, and higher turbo boost. The team ultimately achieved an estimated 375 horsepower running on higher-octane fuel.

“One nagging issue was throttle response,” Bailey notes. “Fortunately we have several talented engineers on the team capable of producing special tuning calibrations.”  The solution, created by Matt Busch and Dave Schmitt, was continuing to inject fuel into the combustion chamber after the throttle was closed to maintain the exhaust turbine’s spin and boost. The result was more torque available upon corner-exit tip-in than their V-8 racer had provided. The downside? The closed-throttle fuel injection was, in Bailey’s words, “mean to the turbo.” Several failures ensued but, luckily, none in the heat of battle.

Upgraded chassis components—wheels, shocks, suspension hardware—came from the Camaro ZL1 1LE. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential was developed (and added to the GM Performance catalog for dealer installation) but the team’s SCCA car kept its simpler mechanical differential because the eLSD posed an installation hassle.

Out of the box, the team scored a 1-2 finish with the win earned by Alexander Doss and Bailey taking second against 56 competitors. At the 2018 SCCA Solo Nationals held in Lincoln, Nebraska, the two swapped places. Competing in the rain, Bailey was top dog with a 1.235-second margin of victory.

GM’s Performance Driving Team quickly grew to include 20 drivers and a variety of cars, an effort that earned nearly 100 trophies. During a typical weekend, at least fifty out of the 100-strong team enjoy their time converting gasoline to noise and tires to dust at either practice or an SCCA event. Bailey was too busy to participate much in 2019 but teammate Alex Doss did run a prepped Cadillac ATS-V successfully at the SCCA Nationals achieving his third third-place finish in so many years.

A side benefit is an expeditious path from handling advancements to GM production line changes. McConnell adds, “the Performance Driving Team has created numerous tuning packages we offer as aftermarket upgrades.” Another plus is young engineers reporting for work six days a week with smiles on their faces. The pandemic halted all 2020 activities, but the team is champing at the bit to return to competition as soon as possible.

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When Bob Lutz drove his Pontiac Solstice concept sports car onto the stage at the 2002 Detroit North American Auto Show, there was a clearly audible gasp from the astonished media scrum. Then came a round of applause, soon after topped by another bout of cheers for the sexy Solstice concept coupe that followed. “The North American market is ripe for an affordable, pure roadster,” Lutz proclaimed. “The Solstice is striking in its purity and simplicity.”

It took nearly four years to wrangle corporate approval, source, develop, certify, and validate that enticing little roadster for production. The Solstice’s realization fulfilled a dream that Lutz had nourished throughout his career, but the timing proved unfortunate. When Pontiac’s second-ever two-seater (following the 1984–’88 mid-engine Fiero) launched in 2005 as a 2006 model, GM was three years away from declaring bankruptcy amid a U.S. economic collapse.

Less than a year prior to the 2002 Detroit auto show, GM CEO Rick Wagoner had met with Lutz at Exide Technologies, where the latter was CEO after departing Chrysler. Wagoner offered Lutz a lucrative consultancy to help fix GM’s lackluster products. Lutz declined, but Wagoner countered with a full-time job opportunity. Lutz agreed, albeit on the condition that he would have the title and the power necessary to get the job done. On September 1, 2001 (with Lutz four years past GM’s mandatory retirement age of 65), the veteran executive joined the auto giant’s board as Vice Chairman, Product Development.

Wagoner directed Design VP Wayne Cherry to show Lutz every future GM product, even before his official start date. When the two met that August at the Pebble Beach Concours, Lutz zeroed in on the inexpensive two-seater that he had long wanted to create—first at GM Europe, then at BMW, Ford, and finally Chrysler. He strongly believed that an inexpensive Mazda Miata-fighter, done right, would bolster GM’s product image and could turn a profit.

“Bob wanted to know if we could do a concept roadster in time for the Detroit show,” Cherry said in an interview for your author’s 2006 Pontiac Solstice Book. “The show was barely four months away. But any time someone asks us to do a concept sports car … we’ll say YES … We were so excited to be able to do that kind of a car.”

Fast-tracked design

Cherry launched a competition among GM designers for the roadster concept. Ed Welburn—who bore primary responsibility for concepts at the time—showed the best sketches to Lutz on a big screen, and one of a series by Franz von Holzhausen from GM’s California studio jumped out.

“That’s it!” Lutz exclaimed. “Exactly the character we’re talking about! They showed how we could do a contemporary vehicle based on quintessential sports car shapes of the 1950s and ‘60s … those voluptuous, flowing-fendered, Italianesque sports cars—Ferraris, Maseratis, Aston Martins—of that period … classical style done in a very contemporary way.”

GM’s Ecotec four-cylinder was designed and developed by an international team to be compact, lightweight, low-maintenance, and capable of accommodating such added technologies as turbocharging, supercharging, piston oil cooling, dual cam phasing, and direct fuel injection. Rotating it 90 degrees to power the rear-wheel-drive roadster required new mounts and minor modifications for improved dipstick access. Meanwhile, its head got better breathing, its crankshaft got an adapter and reinforcement at its transmission interface, and its power steering pump became engine-driven (vs. electric in other applications). Redline rose to 7000 rpm. One thing that did not change was the engine’s 10-degree tilt—rearward in front-wheel-drive cars, to the passenger side in the Solstice—since its lubrication system was designed for that angle.

The Solstice GXP’s turbo-four pumped out 260 ponies and an identically impressive 260 lb-ft of torque from just 2.0-liters of displacement—a remarkable 130 hp per liter. The 2007 GXP could sprint from zero to 60 mph in less than 5.5 seconds vs. the standard 177-hp 2.4-liter car’s respectable 7.0 seconds, and its cornering and braking capabilities were similarly higher.

The Saturn Sky

The year after the Solstice concepts stole the Detroit show, GM British subsidiary Vauxhall showed a hot-looking concept roadster called VX Lightning to help celebrate its 100th birthday. Built on the bones of the original Solstice concept, it debuted in May 2003, just as the Solstice production program was coming together. The VX Lightning provided styling inspiration for the Saturn Sky, as well as a near-identical Opel GT roadster for Opel in Germany and a Daewoo G2X for Korea.

“When the decision arrived to make a Saturn roadster,” Welburn said, “it came … when we were looking at building this relationship between Saturn and Opel. Simon Cox’s VX Lightning design was very aggressive, inside and out, and we handed Ken Parkinson the challenge of taking this wild-looking roadster and creating a production Saturn from it. Liz Wetzel was director of small- and mid-sized car interiors, so her team did the cockpit. But it wasn’t until after the Sky production design was coming together that the decision was made to also market this roadster in Europe as the Opel GT.”

And in Korea as the Daewoo G2X. The exterior design landed in the hands of Clay Dean when Parkinson moved to a new assignment, and Solstice designers Franz von Holzhausen and Vicki Vlachakis helped finish the production Sky. (The two would later marry.)

Production

The Solstice reached production (with its body manually MIG-welded) at just seven cars per hour in mid-2005 at GM’s then-59-year-old Wilmington, Delaware plant, which had been slated for closure the previous year. Nominated for 2006 North American Car of the Year and Canadian Design of the Year awards, it got off to a strong start with 7000 orders in its first 10 days and 6000 more before winter. Media reviews were generally good, aside from criticism of its low-function interior and tiny trunk that offered little room when its oddly designed top was down. The other three Kappa cars (Saturn Sky, Opel GT, and Daewoo G2X) debuted as 2007 models.

The turbocharged Solstice GXP and Sky Red Line also arrived for 2007, then the Targa-top Solstice Coupe in early 2009. Just 1266 Coupes (102 pre-production 2009 models, 1152 production 2009s and 12 pre-production 2010s) were built before the plant closed in July 2009, after GM killed its Pontiac brand as part of a government-mandated bankruptcy recovery plan.

Thus ended Lutz’s career-long dream of a youthful, affordable two-seat sports car. GM’s short-lived Kappas were not, ultimately, great cars but they were stylish and fun at their prices. If you believe, as we do, that sports cars are mostly about style and dynamics, they were both genuine winners.

The post How Bob Lutz ushered in the Solstice and Sky, even as GM faltered appeared first on Hagerty Media.

When hot-rodding was young, it had an air of outlaw culture about it. Speed-crazed kids ripped the fenders off their hopped-up jalopies to go fast, make noise, and annoy the adults. True or not, it was a rock-and-roll facet of the automotive landscape that buttoned-down Detroit was happy to overlook.

By the mid-1990s, however, those speed-crazed kids were cashed-up adults who now held the industry’s full attention. In 1996, the National Street Rod Association figured that 84 percent of its members were aged 31 to 50, meaning they were in their prime earning years and ready to feel 18 again. There were numerous attempts to bank on the retro trend, from the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevrolet HHR to the VW New Beetle and fifth-gen Mustang, but only two factory jobs were unmistakable torpedoes fired at the hot-rod crowd.

Chrysler dazzled the 1993 Detroit auto show with a brazen concept called the Plymouth Prowler. The plum-colored ragtop two-seater slunk onto the stage already bearing crash-test-ready bumpers and dual airbags, leading to immediate speculation that the car would go into production. Chrysler was that kind of company then, run by a clique of car guys who had already stunned naysayers by putting the Dodge Viper into production in 1991. Every good movie deserves a sequel, right?

Wisely, the company’s then-chief designer, Tom Gale, aged 50 and a rodder himself, spun the project in more business-like terms. The aluminum-intensive Prowler would give Chrysler real-world experience in the lightweight metal, and it would wake up the sleepy Plymouth brand, long the vinyl-upholstered poverty portal into Chrysler’s lineup. With people flocking to Dodge dealers just to glimpse a Viper, spreading the eyeball candy to Plymouth made sense.

The $35,000 Prowler went into production as a 1997 model alongside the Viper at Chrysler’s Conner Avenue Assembly Plant, a former spark-plug factory in Detroit. Though it used not a V-8 but the 214-hp 3.5-liter V-6 and four-speed auto from the company’s LH sedans—undoubtedly pain points for its intended audience—the 2800-pound car was indeed a test bed for new tech. The alloy structure and outer panels hid weight-shaving innovations such as a cast-magnesium dash support, aluminum control arms made with a developing process called “semisolid forging,” and aluminum brake rotors reinforced with silicon carbide ceramic particles.

And the Prowler did—briefly—give the Plymouth brand a pulse, though not for long. Chrysler scrapped Plymouth in 2001 and built the last Prowler, which for its final two years bore a Chrysler badge, on February 15, 2002, having sold 11,676 examples of a car that, while evoking hot-rod culture on the outside, was every inch a high-tech factory project under the skin.

Just as Chrysler axed the Prowler, Chevy jumped in with the SSR. The audience was the same but the recipe quite different: GM sprang its retro-rod pickup from its midsize Trailblazer SUV, which afforded it a 300-hp 5.3-liter V-8 (at last!) and other major components. The innovation budget went into the trick roof, a split-folding hardtop that had to stack itself vertically before sliding down between the cockpit and the open pickup bed. Indeed, problems with the roof, a joint venture between Detroit’s ASC Inc. and Germany’s Wilhelm Karmann GmbH, caused the SSR months of delay. Salable units finally rolled out of GM’s Lansing Craft Center—the same small-project shop that built the Buick Reatta and GM EV1 electric—late in ’03. Priced at $42,000, the SSR had V-8 rumble and torque but was almost 2000 pounds heavier than the Prowler, and just about as fast.

GM had hoped for annual sales of 13,000, but the biggest year was 2004, with 10,676 sold. A 6.0-liter V-8 and even a six-speed stick were offered, but the SSR was gone by the end of ’06, proving that the notion of mass-produced hot rods is a contradiction in terms, and that Detroit maybe should have left the genre to the customizers.

The post When hot-rodding (baby) boomed, Detroit wanted in appeared first on Hagerty Media.

The most abundant material in the earth’s crust is rapidly becoming every car maker’s favorite structural element.

In case you hadn’t noticed, Elon Musk is the 21st-century’s Henry Ford. After disrupting the car business with battery-electric propulsion, he’s now on a mission to revolutionize how cars are manufactured.

Next year, Musk hopes to commence building his Model Y crossover at an innovative plant under construction near Berlin, Germany. Of course, this Tesla will be powered by AC motors supplied current by onboard batteries. Musk’s stride forward—which he acknowledges as risky—is integrating 70 separate aluminum structural components into a single aluminum die casting. While the current Tesla Model Y has a rear underbody consisting of just two elaborate castings, the next edition will use eight Italian-made 6200-ton presses to pop out 213,000 supersize castings per annum at Berlin. If this “experiment” works, Musk hopes to spread his technology to U.S. and Chinese manufacturing plants within two years.

This is highly ambitious news, moving us to dig back in time to recall previous aluminum advancements aimed at making cars lighter and more efficient. The number of examples we found surprised us.

German engineer Heinrich Durkopp showed the first sports car with an aluminum body at the 1899 Berlin Motor Show. Two years later, Karl Benz raced a car of his design in France employing an engine made mostly of aluminum. Aluminum pistons and transmission housings soon became common practice. In 1912, Pierce-Arrow began building cars with cast aluminum bodywork and Packard’s seminal 1916 V-12 featured a weight-saving aluminum crankcase.

Ettore Bugatti’s brilliant Type 35 two-seat racer introduced in 1924 integrated a stylish wheel assembly with a brake drum cast in aluminum. That original eight-spoke design was reverently mimicked in the 2011 Bugatti Veyron, though with the spoke count upped by 50 percent.

In the 1930s, some makers began integrating their body and frame designs into a single lighter, stiffer assembly made of steel. Body-on-frame construction remains popular today for trucks though it began dying off for cars in the 1960s.

Inevitably, car makers began pondering the substitution of steel with aluminum to save weight. Extruded components, stampings, and die castings were all considered because each approach offers certain advantages.

In 1953, the French maker Panhard began using stamped sheet aluminum in volume production. At the 1981 Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche presented an all-aluminum 928 concept car. Audi followed with an experimental aluminum four-door unibody that, it proudly proclaimed, could be carried by two women. However, Acura beat the Germans to the production punch with the 1989 NSX, the first production car using an aluminum unibody. The weight savings over steel construction was an impressive 500 pounds.

Audi and Alcoa teamed up to invent aluminum spaceframe technology for the 1994 Audi A8 sedan. Ferrari joined the club in 1999 with its first structural use of aluminum in the 1999 F360 Modena. Lamborghini adopted the Alcoa technology in the Gallardo sports cars beginning in 2003, and four years later Audi followed suit with the R8. BMW’s Z8 roadster made extensive use of extruded aluminum beginning in 1999.

The aluminum revolution reached America well before the turn of the century. GM’s EV1, leased from 1996 to the end of the decade, combined electric propulsion with a spot-welded and adhesively-bonded aluminum unibody and dent-proof molded-plastic exterior panels. At Chrysler Corporation, the low-volume 1997 Plymouth Prowler hot rod salute consisted of an innovative mix of aluminum castings, extrusions, body panels, and suspension parts.

Jaguar advanced the cause in 2003 with the XJ sedan, the first high-volume production model with an aluminum unibody. Castings, stampings, and extrusions were ambitiously joined with self-piercing rivets to achieve notable weight savings and stiffness gains compared to the XJ’s steel competitors. Later editions employed hydroformed A pillars. The BMW-designed Rolls Royce Phantom launched in 2003 was the largest production car to employ an aluminum spaceframe. Mercedes-Benz presented its AMG SLS gull-winged sports car revival in 2009 with an aluminum spaceframe to significantly lower its center of gravity height. Land Rover followed suit in 2012 with its aluminum-unibodied Range Rover, the first such design in the sport ute realm.

Enter Lotus in 1996 with its aluminum-intensive Elise sports car built atop a chassis comprised of 63 straight and two bent extrusions and five sheet panels joined with adhesive bonding and self-tapping screws. A decade later, Tesla’s Elon Musk collaborated with Lotus to introduce his first electric-powered Roadster. Time magazine dubbed the car a Best Invention for 2006. Approximately 2450 were ultimately sold in 30 countries around the world; two years ago, one was launched into space aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket.

Aston Martin also shared Lotus technology beginning with the 2001 Vanquish V-12 which added a molded carbon-fiber tunnel to the construction mix. Corvette combined a welded aluminum spaceframe with a few carbon-fiber body panel reinforcements beginning in 2006.

During the first two decades of the 21st century, BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche each invented ways to combine aluminum and steel in unibody structures in pursuit of lighter weight and higher strength. A second trend currently underway at Audi, Lexus, and Mercedes is marrying a carbon-fiber body tub to aluminum chassis subframes.

In 2012, Tesla introduced its remarkable Model S five-door battery-electric sedan with an all-aluminum unibody designed and manufactured in-house. Its floor-mounted battery pack contains over 7000 cylindrically shaped lithium-ion cells. Consumer Reports lavishly praised this design and Motor Trend dubbed it the ultimate Car of The Year.

Every automaker’s goal is to use the best material at specific points throughout the car to meet crashworthiness requirements, structural stiffness, and minimum weight goals at a reasonable cost. Towards that end, the world is watching—and rooting for—Elon Musk’s current attempt to use one elaborate aluminum die casting to serve a multiplicity of needs.

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General Motors’ Spring Hill, Tennessee, assembly plant will wind down its current production of gas-powered CUVs and engines to make way for a $2 billion retooling and expansion to convert the former home of Saturn into an all-EV production facility. Cadillac’s LYRIQ will lead the charge as production ramps up in this new phase, though GM hints that Spring Hill will have a growing roll in GM’s EV portfolio.

For now at least, the Cadillac XT5 and XT6 will continue production at Spring Hill; GMC’s Acadia, built on the same C1XX platform, will move to GM’s Lansing Delta Township (Michigan) Assembly plant.

Since EV drivelines have very different chassis packaging needs than their combustion-powered brethren, the assembly line at Spring Hill will undergo changes that support this new set of LEGO bricks. Every bit of tooling, from the conveyers to the droves of robots, will be altered and reprogrammed alongside a new infrastructure that handles the new high-voltage components.

Mary Barra, GM Chairman and CEO, says,”[General Motors is] committed to investing in the U.S., our employees, and our communities. These investments underscore the success of our vehicles today and our vision of an all-electric future.”

This move is one of a slew of tide-changing decisions from GM this year: it’s investing billions into its modular EV architecture and transforming its Detroit-Hamtramck facility into Factory ZERO, where its Ultium platform (and ethos) begins with the likes of the Hummer EV and Cruise Origin.

If anything, it’s a fitting future for an assembly plant that showed so much hopeful optimism over 30 years ago as the Saturn brand—GM’s all-American effort to dislodge the Japanese automakers from their domination in the small-car market—broke ground in 1985 and began production just five years later. The first to roll down Saturn Parkway was a red ’91 SL2, representing GM’s promise that the efficient and dent-resistant line-up would change the world. Or at least the U.S.

After the 2008 economic crash and GM’s bankruptcy brought those Saturn dreams crashing through the atmosphere, the plant idled as GM restructured, and Saturn got no piece of the company’s subsequent bail-out agreement. The once-Saturn-only plant got back to work about a year later, however, with the ever-popular Epsilon-based CUVs, notably the much-lauded GMC Acadia. The plant has continued to thrive producing GM’s 6.2- and 5.3-liter V-8s and 2.0- and 2.7-liter turbo-fours, bringing us to today’s announcement. While it may have not been the original goal of Spring Hill’s founding fathers, in many ways, the all-EV future does carry Saturn’s forward-thinking mission. We wish it a happier fate.

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General Motors’ Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center—which opened in 1985 and produced such gasoline-powered icons as the Cadillac Eldorado, Oldsmobile Toronado, Pontiac Bonneville, Buick LeSabre, and Chevrolet Impala—is going all-electric. GM announced that the Michigan production plant will henceforth be known as Factory ZERO, which reflects the automaker’s intention to advance GM’s “zero-crashes, zero-emissions, and zero-congestion” future.

In a press release, GM Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing Gerald Johnson said, “Factory ZERO is the next battleground in the EV race … The electric trucks and SUVs that will be built here will help transform GM and the automotive industry.”

The last Impala rolled off the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center assembly line in February 2020. At the time, the low-volume Impala and Cadillac CT6 were the only GM vehicles being built there, and the GMC Hummer EV needed a home. The electric Hummer, originally scheduled to be introduced on May 20, will be unveiled tomorrow, October 20. According to GM, Hummer production is scheduled to begin in late 2021.

The list of gasoline-powered cars that were once produced at the Detroit-Hamtramck plant includes the Oldsmobile Trofeo, Cadillac DeVille and Seville, and the Chevrolet Volt.

GM says it will invest $2.2 billion for upgrades and retooling, the largest-ever investment in any GM plant. GM says that once it is fully operational, it will create more than 2200 jobs.

In addition to the Hummer EV, GM says the Cruise Origin—a purpose-built electric, self-driving vehicle—will also be built at Factory ZERO on GM’s Ultium battery platform.

According to the Detroit Free Press, GM’s sustainability plan has carried over to the physical transformation of the plant, as GM recycled concrete for temporary roadways and is using treated stormwater in its fire suppression system. The Factory ZERO site also features a 16.5-acre wildlife habitat.

General Motors has vowed that all of its U.S. facilities will use renewable energy by 2030, and all of its global facilities will do the same by 2040.

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The first-generation Camaro’s history is well-trodden. From the minute Pete Estes issued his famous press release and video conference, featuring the 1966 rollout of “Norwood ‘F’ Car Pilot-Production Unit”, there’s been no shortage of enthusiasm for Chevrolet’s second-most iconic nameplate. That is, except from the people who designed the first model. When Bill Mitchell and Irv Rybicki—VPs of GM’s Styling Section—talked about the 1967–69 Camaro and related Firebird, they dismissed it.

“I can’t remember what the hell they look like,” Mitchell said in 1985. In his view, the spark of the original design was extinguished by compromises from all sides. “It’s a committee car.”

It’s hard to fathom just how much power Mitchell and Rybicki wielded, especially in the 1960s and ’70s. In the entire history of General Motors, only seven people have held their positions at the company. Almost twice as many people have walked on the moon.

Mitchell was among the most powerful, influential, and recognized automotive designers in the latter half of the 20th century. He shaped the way we viewed automobiles from the minute he took the job in 1958. Every recognizable GM car from the 1960s to the early ’70s were influenced by his aesthetic.

Irvin “Irv” Rybicki came right behind Mitchell. Rybicki was never the larger-than-life figure that Mitchell was, but he made an indelible mark in his own right. He’s most remembered for the 1971–81 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, cars whose looks would help define the 1970s. His oeuvre also included the third-generation Camaro and the fourth-generation Corvette.

In the mid-1980s, both Mitchell and Rybicki were interviewed for a series of automotive oral histories conducted by the Benson Ford Research Center at the Henry Ford Museum. For automotive enthusiasts, and particularly fans of GM cars, these interviews should be considered national treasures.

The conversations show how hard top-tier GM designers—despite their power—had to advocate for their work, how often they failed, and how bitter they could be about what might have been.

Rybicki explained the pressure that the design studios were under after the launch of the Ford Mustang at the 1964 New York World’s Fair in April. “They sold 400,000 [Mustangs] the first year, and everybody was back knocking on our door, ‘Where is that—we’d better get things moving here now.’ We were a little late coming in with the Camaro, and the first one wasn’t all that exciting, because it was a rush project, and we did it off the Chevrolet X platform.”

Such forced compromises were a source of major frustration for both Rybicki and Mitchell. According to Rybicki, by June 1963, Chevrolet had designed and planned a four-seater that could’ve competed with the Mustang from the start. Bunkie Knudsen, however, couldn’t be convinced that Chevrolet could sell the sporty coupe. “Buick had the Riviera. Bill Mitchell sold that on his own to the Buick division. He was very strong for getting a personalized coupe, and Buick bought it,” Rybicki remembered.

If Buick bought into the concept of a larger, four-seat sport coupe, the potential for a smaller, sportier two-door at Chevrolet could be substantial.

“We looked at the volumes that Buick was turning out the first years,” Rybicki said. “I was running Chevrolet studio at the time, and I sat down with the team, and we had a little discussion about it. Buick can sell X number of cars in one year at that price, what if we did a little personalized car? How many would Chevrolet sell if the price were right?

“We wouldn’t go the Buick route because that’s a more formal, sophisticated, four-place automobile. We’d do something to appeal to the youth of America. Something sporty and dynamic. We talked ourselves into it. I came to Bill [Mitchell] and I chatted with him about it, and he said, ‘Well, all right, if you want to do it, go ahead and do it. You got room.'”

The car was designed away from the high-profile Chevy-1 and Chevy-2 studios: “We had a warehouse across 12 Mile Road, and we went over there and worked on this car. I had a fellow working on it who is now in charge of Advanced-One, whose name is Phil Garcia, and we put together some ideas, found one we liked and modeled the automobile,” Rybicki said.

Phil Garcia isn’t a household name like Mitchell or even Rybicki, but he would go on to sketch the early design that would eventually become the 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle, Chevy’s Colonnade entry.

The car he worked on went as far as the clay model stage before Bill Mitchell saw it: “I invited Bill over. He took one walk around it, and he said, ‘Jeez, that’s a damned good-looking car. We’d better get [General Manager of the Chevrolet Division] Bunkie [Knudsen] over here.’”

Bunkie Knudsen was known for taking risks. He’d green-lit people like Pete Estes and John DeLorean to reinvigorate the Pontiac brand when he was running that division, and he’d submitted a request to produce what became the 1963 Riviera before Buick stole it out from under him.

Knudsen wasn’t sold on the small two-door. “’Damned exciting,’” he told Mitchell and Rybicki, but that was as far as it went. “’I want to tell you something, fellows,’” Mitchell later quoted Knudsen, “’The last thing Chevrolet needs is another car.'” For Rybicki and Mitchell, that marked the end of the line this small, sporty four-seater at Chevrolet.

Ultimately, Chevrolet did introduce a sporty four-door coupe concept at 1964 New York International Auto Show—dubbed the Super Nova—bearing a lot of the same mini-Riviera design cues. However, when the production Mustang appeared at the World’s Fair that same month, Chevrolet was suddenly caught flat-footed.

“The following year, in April, it was there for everyone to see that there was a need in that spot at the low end of the market. When Ford brought the Mustang out, General Motors didn’t react to it until the first year numbers came in,” Rybicki said. “Then we started moving fast. The question of whether Chevrolet needed another car or not was a moot point at that time.”

The bosses at Chevrolet, however, weren’t interested in the car that Rybicki and Mitchell had shown Knudsen 18 months before. Ignoring the Super Nova concept, GM brass wanted something cheap and doable in a hurry, and that meant producing a car that could sit on a ready-made platform.

That platform would be the upcoming 1968 Nova chassis, which had already been approved and engineered but wouldn’t be produced until the fall of 1967. “When we got the word we’d better get started on a four-placed, sporty vehicle—it wasn’t called Camaro at the time, it had an XP number—we thought we’d go back to that [earlier designed car],” Rybicki said, “but the decision was made that it would have to come off the Chevy-tooled underbody and cowl and use the suspension and engines and windshield. We didn’t have the flexibility.”

The resulting Camaro—a car that has attained legendary status since its introduction—simply wasn’t something that Rybicki or anyone else on his team was proud of. “The original Camaro, while it did well in the market, was not satisfying for anyone here in this building … not myself, not the chief designers involved,” he said in that 1985 interview.

In many ways, this result was a precursor for the Blazer concept from the mid-’60s that died on the vine. The K5 Blazer that eventually arrived in 1968 may have been a runaway success, but it didn’t take the sting out of what could’ve been.

Mitchell agreed that first Camaro was a shadow of its pre-production self. Mitchell felt that GM Executive Vice President Louis Clifford “Cliff” Goad, President Jack Gordon, and James E. “Bud” Goodman, Chief of GM’s Fisher Body Division, were responsible for a car that, in the end, wasn’t groundbreaking.

“Goad, Goodman, and Gordon, I said, killed it,” he recounted in the ’85 interview. “Each one said, ‘Shorten this, do this.’ It’s a committee car.”

What would’ve happened if Rybicki and Mitchell had the time they felt they needed to design a proper sports car? In short, we would have enjoyed the spirit of the second-generation Camaro years before the 1970 model year when it debuted. Rybicki said of the first-gen Camaro: “We did what we were asked to do. But when that program was finished, I got with our vehicle packaging group, and we started planning the second-generation car, and there was no interference. We did a new underbody and placed the seats where we wanted them, and got the cross section.”

Mitchell was similarly fond of the second-gen Camaro and Firebird, pointing to the long-running success of those cars as evidence of their superiority: “They ran for 10 years, because I got the right dash-to-axle, the right cowl height,” he said.

For what it’s worth, GM designer John Schinella pushes back on Mitchell and Rybicki’s characterization that the original Camaro was a committee car. “I worked on that first Camaro, and let me tell you, that team put its heart and soul into the design,” Schinella says. “Bunkie Knudsen would regularly come over to talk about it, and he liked the direction and thought it was a cleaner, more shapely execution than the Mustang.”

Even if Mitchell and Rybicki disapproved of the final product, GM’s quick turnaround to develop a competitor for the Mustang turned out to be a sound judgement call to right the wrong of its earlier oversight. Committee car or not, history will always honor the original Camaro.

The Mitchell and Rybicki interviews are cataloged at the University of Michigan’s Automobile in American Life and Society website.

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You don’t think about it often, but wiring is hefty. It’s one of the heaviest subsystems on a car, weighing in around 150 pounds in today’s more well-equipped models, though a simpler economy car car may have at least 50 pounds of copper wire. As the industry moves toward an “all-electric” future, finding ways to manage this weight will become vital as we pursue increasingly lighter, more efficient vehicles. While wiring schemes are becoming simpler thanks to technologies like CAN-Bus (which can reduce a complicated wiring harness down into a single pair of data lines), what if we just got rid of the wiring itself whenever possible? That’s what GM is planning with Analog Devices, a supplier that specializes in charging hardware for mobile devices, among other things.

One of the most complicated aspects of designing a lithium battery pack is the battery management system (BMS), which monitors each individual battery cell’s health to decide how to best charge the pack. If one cell were to go bad or fall out of the voltage range of its neighbors, it could spell disaster for the vehicle while driving or charging, so the BMS is wired to each cell to monitor for problems. Maybe you see the catch-22 here: for more battery capacity, more battery cells are usually necessary. More cells mean more balance wires, which quickly adds up in not just the overall weight of the battery, but also the development time that goes into designing a critical wiring harness.

The wireless BMS (wBMS) designed by GM and Analog Devices aims to reduce the internal battery wiring by 90 percent, making more room for more cells and reducing necessary weight—both of which will help EV vehicles further match the range and relatively low cost of entry that’s enjoyed by today’s traditional combustion-engine drivelines.

GM’s new tech should also significantly reduce the cost of offering a myriad of battery pack configurations for different vehicle classes. The number of cells doesn’t necessarily increase the inherent complexity of the pack, and GM won’t have to engineer different BMS modules based on the physical number of balance leads running out of the pack.

GM claims its advancements will also ease the recycling of battery packs into stationary applications (such as a solar battery bank) by simplifying the process of repackaging the cells and all their balance leads, but we presume this also means that a stationary wBMS master console is also in the works, which will need to talk to the wBMS modules inside the batteries.

Step by step, individual advancements like this will make all-electric vehicles increasingly efficient and viable on a mass-market scale.

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Cadillac used a livestream event last night to reveal its first all-electric vehicle, the Lyriq. After teasing the sleek new crossover in January, Cadillac’s full unveiling shows that the renderings were dead-on. The proportions are skewed more towards those of a sporty wagon than a boxy SUV, and the specs are promising.

With approximately 100 kWh of nickle-manganese-cobalt-aluminum battery power, the Lyriq will boast 300+ miles of range and offer fast-charging up to at least 150 kWh. Its Ultium battery pack is tied into the chassis, below the interior floorplan, creating a stiff platform. That also results in a low center of gravity and a 50/50 weight balance. Cadillac promises sporty handling, reflected in the crossover’s standard rear-wheel-drive. Performance all-wheel-drive will be optional.

The Lyriq is the first model that’s we’ve seen fully uncovered that will use GM’s new flexible vehicle architecture and Ultium batteries, which allow for Level 2 and fast DC charging (it’s also the first model to use Cadillac’s new naming scheme). The charging port is cleverly hidden in the driver-side cowl area, behind the fender.

Pushing the envelope for technology at Cadillac, the Lyric will offer Super Cruise driver assistance and remote self-parking. From the driver’s seat, a curved, 33-inch digital dash displays navigation, range, and other gauge information. Rear-seat passengers get their own video screens mounted on the back of the front seats. To amp up the luxury vibes, Cadillac reached out to AKG for a 19-speaker audio system.

Cadillac had previously announced that the Lyriq will be built at the company’s Detroit Hamtramck assembly plant alongside the GMC Hummer pickup. However, the EV crossover’s reveal did not contain an on-sale date. We hope that its launch will mirror the upcoming Hummer’s, and perhaps beat the pickup to market, since that the GMC isn’t expected until late 2021.

Compared to the ELR—the plug-in-hybrid entry that represented Cadillac’s previous foray into the upscale electric market—the Lyriq seems much closer to what most new-car customers want: a comfortable, powerful, tall crossover with a rakish profile. With the Jaguar I-Pace and Tesla Model Y already establishing themselves in the premium EV market, the Lyriq will rely heavily on its impressive stats and handsome looks to win new customers. Will Cadillac start its electric revolution by wooing the brand’s current owners, or will it succeed in poaching customers from the competition?

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Earlier today, Reuters reported that General Motors is working on an all-electric delivery van, similar to those used for last-mile deliveries by USPS, FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and others. According to its sources, the gauntlet thrown by Tesla with its consumer offerings has spurred GM to focus on an EV van to satisfy commercial customers, even while the general public remains lukewarm.

A competitive electric delivery van design would pit GM against the likes of Ford and Rivian, the latter of which accepted a 100,000-vehicle order from Amazon last September. Replacing long-distance delivery vehicles (such as 18-wheelers) with their electric counterparts remains a distant prospect, since current battery tech can’t match combustion powerplants for range and time-efficiency; but local delivery trucks rarely need to travel more than 500 miles a day. Urban routes represent a fraction of that distance. The large, heavy-duty chassis such a truck requires to haul cargo also leaves plenty of room for battery storage when compared to a compact passenger-car application.

Last-mile deliveries—the final link in the chain of vehicles that brings a package to the customer’s doorstep—account for approximately half of the cost of a delivery due to traffic congestion and the relay-race nature of a dozen-or-more separate stops. Additionally, these last-leg segments contribute to urban pollution where an EV substitute would alleviate local smog production.

This move is also important for GM because it doesn’t produce a vehicle to compete in the compact, urban-focused van segment, dominated by Mercedes’ Sprinter, Ram’s ProMaster, and Ford’s Transit vans. While the body-on-frame stalwarts sold through GM’s fleet program still have a place in the world, many delivery companies have moved towards the low-floor, high-roof configuration of these more modern examples.

Reuters’ sources say that GM’s delivery van is codenamed BV1 and will use parts of the recently-revealed Ultium battery system developed jointly by GM and LG Chem. The Ultium system is the realization of generations of GM concepts that focused on a modular electric platform that could scale up or down depending on the intended vehicle. The BV1 is reportedly due to roll off GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck line in late 2021 but, of course, official sources deny direct involvement with the rumored program. GM ultimately told Reuters that it is “committed to an all-electric future and is implementing a multi-segment, scalable EV strategy to get there. At this time, we do not have any announcements to make regarding electric commercial vehicles.”

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Sixty years ago, General Motors was nothing like the company you know and (maybe) love today. In the 1960s, the firm was well-stocked with the industry’s smartest designers, engineers, sales experts, and division managers. No technical hurdle was too high, no engineering feat too far-fetched, for the colossus that bestrode more than 50 percent of the market and had no Asian competitors to fear. So when someone raised a hand and suggested that a nice, fresh V-12 engine would add luster to Cadillac’s prestige, there was broad consensus and no fiscal concern.

Indeed, there was plenty of precedent for the idea, both historic and recent. From 1931 to 1937, Cadillac built and sold just over 10,000 Series 370 and Series 80/85 models powered by V-12s serving as the base engine. (The upgrade was a V-16 offered from 1930–40.) In 1960, GMC introduced a 702-cubic-inch “twin-six” truck engine consisting of a 60-degree V-12 block topped by four V-6 cylinder heads. (See what we mean by “no fear”?) Around that time, engineer Paul Keydel was assigned the task of designing GM’s ambitiously-named “V Future” program—a fresh V-12 for Cadillac’s exclusive use. He picked a 60-degree layout with a single chain-driven, overhead camshaft per bank. A horizontal distributor poking out of each cam carrier fired six spark plugs. The block and heads were both aluminum castings. To make the blocks, GM invented a technique called Acurad, which injected high-silicon aluminum into steel dies at high pressure. The beauty of this arrangement was that it yielded bore surfaces tough enough to resist piston wear and abrasion without ferrous-metal (iron or steel) cylinder liners.

Finger followers with hydraulic lash adjusters were fitted to the heads. Cadillac built six V-12 prototypes for testing and development, with displacements ranging from 7.4 to 8.2 liters. However, when the first engine fired on a test stand in 1963, results were deeply disappointing. Power and low-speed torque barely topped Cadillac’s existing 7.0-liter V-8. Switching to individual intake and exhaust pipes and adding fuel injection to optimize fuel-air distribution eventually raised output to 394 hp and 506 lb-ft of torque, beating the V-8 by roughly 100 hp. Unfortunately, engineers then sacrificed half the V-12’s advantage over the V-8 by adding Cadillac-quiet mufflers, though they continued experimenting with various cam profiles and single 4-barrel, 2×2-barrel, 3×2-barrel, and 2×4-barrel carburetor setups.

At the same time, GM product planners expected the V Future engine to power the new Cadillac Eldorado coupe planned for the 1967 model year, which would arrive one year after the launch of the all-new Oldsmobile Toronado. Both were radical (for the era) front-wheel-drive cars, and the folks designing their automatic transaxles assumed the engines in each would be transversely mounted. Cadillac quickly raised both hands in protest, stating that there was no way its new V-12 would fit sideways.

This forced the engineers to create a new, three-speed Turbo-Hydramatic 425 design that shared parts with the existing Turbo-Hydramatic 400. Here, the torque converter bolted to the engine’s crankshaft as usual. Next came a multi-link Morse chain that dispatched torque to the left (in plan view) to drive the remaining transmission and differential components snuggled against the engine with a “backwards” north-south orientation. Torque to the left wheel departed the left side of the differential. Torque to the other side was via a driveshaft which went through the oil pan and under the crankshaft before reaching the right-front wheel. This design became known as the Unified Powerplant Package.

While the UPP design sounds like it was heavily influenced by Rube Goldberg, it worked reliably as intended. There was zero detectable torque steer; the only real drawback was that any engine mated to the 425 transaxle had to be mounted a bit higher in the chassis to provide driveshaft clearance beneath the crankshaft. Using the 455-cu-in Oldsmobile V-8, the UPP would go on to power that brand’s stylish new Toronado—and, when mounted under a pair of space-age seats, would also motivate the radical front-wheel-drive GMC Motorhome. (Later variants of the UPP would have a 403-cu-in V-8 in place of the 455.)

When the UPP appeared in the Eldorado, however, it was mated to an 8.2-liter V-8, not a V-12. What happened? Contemporary sources believe that GM was worried about releasing an engine which exceeded the V-8’s thirst by a considerable amount without having a similar power advantage. Expanding the Cadillac V-8 to 501 cubic inches closed the gap to the V-12 with significantly less investment. Given the GM design staff’s unshakable preference for long-hood, short-deck proportions, they weren’t about to protest an engine compartment that was only 2/3rds full. Ultimately, all that really mattered was sales volume. Even though it had no V-12 about which to crow, Cadillac easily doubled the sales of its arch rival Lincoln Continental 2-door hardtop coupe with its stunning new Eldorado during 1967 and ’68 model years. Shortly thereafter, federal emissions and mileage requirements gave the engine design department much more to worry about than cramming extra cylinders under Cadillac hoods.

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We’ve seen an influx of creativity from the American automobile industry in the fight against COVID-19. Ford Motor Company repurposed fans normally used to ventilate F-150 seats to build powered air-purifying respirators. General Motors converted an automotive factory to produce medical ventilators. All sorts of automotive vendors have reassigned workers and repurposed equipment to manufacture the personal protective equipment (PPE) that keeps medical personnel and first responders safe.

This isn’t the first time the minds and machinery of the U.S. auto industry have adapted in times of crisis, however. In WWII, alongside dozens of other industries, automakers helped to comprise “The Arsenal of Democracy.” Franklin D. Roosevelt popularized the nickname during a wartime radio broadcast to commemorate how America’s industrial might switched, seemingly overnight, from manufacturing consumer goods to supplying wartime needs. Though the battle of today involves a microscopic enemy, American automakers’ recent switch from vehicles to ventilators has put the term back in circulation.

Similar to today, when PPE manufactured in the states is shipped globally, the transformed automotive industry of WWII supplied far more than just the U.S.—wartime supplies went to Great Britain and Russia as well. Though automotive manufacturers have recently adapted to medical needs, in some cases forgoing vehicles entirely, mobility was paramount in WWII. American automakers answered the call. A small, financially struggling company called American Bantam produced a preliminary design for what would become the Jeep. Ford famously ramped up production of heavy bombers to the point of producing one B-24 Liberator every 55 minutes at the Willow Run plant. Some older Russians still refer to medium-duty trucks as “Studebakers,” in homage to the fleets of U.S.-built trucks that roamed supply routes.

Everybody, it seems, did their part—and not just engineers and assembly line workers. Car designer Alex Tremulis, today known for designing the ingenious Tucker 48, spent the war years drafting advanced concepts for the United States Army Air Corps, one of which is today considered a predecessor to the Space Shuttle. Art Ross, who headed Cadillac and Oldsmobile styling in the ’40s and ’50s, drew tank destroyers during the war.

Over at General Motors, Harley Earl’s Graphic Engineering team drew designs that, unlike those of Tremulis and Ross, would never evolve beyond the printed page. However, the 1945 pilot training manual Flight Thru Instruments, illustrated by GM’s design department, is perhaps the pinnacle WWII contribution of General Motors stylists.

First, some context. One advantage the United States had during World War II, particularly in the Pacific theater, was the ability to train pilots. Experienced American pilots would be periodically rotated back stateside to train novice pilots in the latest combat-proven strategies and tactics. After the Japanese lost about 400 pilots and their carriers at Midway, America’s ability to quickly develop its talent pool became decisive.

Technology rapidly changed during WWII, and new pilots also had to be trained to use it. One of the most challenging—and essential—techniques that green pilots needed to know was how to fly by instruments alone at night or in other low-visibility conditions.

To quote the U.S. Navy: “With the array of accurate and reliable instruments that are now standard equipment in all modern planes, flight is effective, precise, and successful under all conditions. These servants of flight attitude and performance are yours to command and to use if you will, but you must understand what they tell you and learn how to use them.”

In 1944, Earl’s Graphic Engineering department was contracted by the Navy to illustrate Flight Thru Instruments, a training manual for pilots. Earl’s department comprised the auto industry’s first dedicated design team, first established in 1927 as the Art and Colour Section and renamed the Styling Section in 1937 before switching to Graphic Engineering for the duration of the war. Earl was neither an engineer nor talented at rendering graphics. He did, however, have a good eye for proportions and lines and was skilled in communicating his vision to his designers.

When Earl’s department received the Navy’s commission in 1944, the only computers were the size of a large room and useful mostly for calculating trajectories for big naval guns. The drawings, of course, were all done by hand … and what drawings they were!

The planes are all rendered beautifully, with the associated graphics done in a visually arresting, late Art-Deco style. Nearly every page is worthy of a framed display.

The book was published by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations on January 1, 1945. Lest you think that was late in the war, that date was right in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge in Europe and, in the Pacific, the bloody fight for Iwo Jima, which was still almost two months into the future. Pilots who trained with Flight Thru Instruments likely saw combat.

Though the book is now 75 years old, I asked a pilot whom I know, who is rated to fly multi-engine aircraft, to take a look at it. He said that while modern planes have “glass cockpits,” that is, fully digital instrument panels, the basic flight instruments still have the same functions. Most of Flight Thru Instruments is still relevant to pilots, and copies still circulate among flying enthusiasts.

The influence of automotive designers upon the war effort didn’t flow one way only. A well-known bit of automotive lore has GM design chief Harley Earl taking his staff of stylists to Selfridge Field (today Selfridge Air National Guard Base) north of Detroit in 1941 to get an early look at the then-secret Lockheed P-38. The dual rudders of the sleek, twin-fuselage plane proved inspirational. Designer Frank Hershey was particularly taken with the look of the plane, as William Knoedelseder records in his book FINS; to Hershey, the P-38 evoked the bodies of sharks and sailfish: “beautiful, sleek, shiny, and streamlined. The embodiment of power, speed, maneuverability, and stability.”

WWII would have a lasting effect on automotive styling, as Earl would later explain: “When I saw the P-38 rudders sticking up, it gave me an idea for use after the war.”

Earl’s idea would come into play for the 1948 Cadillac, the first all-new postwar design for GM’s flagship luxury brand. The flowing line sweeping from the front fenders to the rear gave the car a muscular look. (In the original drawings, the rear fenders tapered down to echo the curve of the trunk lid, following pre-war fashions.) Earl assigned Hershey the task of visually raising the rear end to grant the car a more modern look and stance. The younger stylist left the basic lines intact but turned up the end of the sweeping rear fenders sweep to incorporate the taillamps, thereby inventing what we know as tailfins.

The connection between Lockheed’s P-38 and the rakish tailfins of the ’50s, however, is only one expression of automotive stylists’ creativity in WWII. Earl repurposed the menacing lines of a fighter aircraft to add flair to civilian transportation, but in the 40s, WWII was far more than a design inspiration for Earl and his team. The automotive stylists who illustrated Flight Thru Instruments were trying to save pilots’ lives and make their own contributions to winning a war. Their work resonates as today’s automotive engineers and workers tirelessly labor to assists health care workers and their patients in the war COVID-19.

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In response to the current pandemic, GM’s executive director in charge of program management, Michelle Braun, recently issued a blanket order pausing all future car and truck development—including for the Corvette. Industry leakage dropped this document in our editorial laps.

While there is (understandably) no forecast indicating when work will resume and what the new timing for these projects will be, this communication does at least provide insight as to what the General had planned for future Corvettes. The chart that follows mixes some of our speculation with accurate details from the hold order and other leaked documents. When businesses resume normal operations, what follows could come true a year or so after the indicated model years. In particular, the power and torque figures presented below are estimates consistent with our previous reporting.

Though it might be delayed, along with the Stingray convertible, plenty of additional Corvette goodness is awaiting us in the years ahead.

*Credible industry feedback suggested reduction in output compared to our original estimates

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