When Acura announced the revived, fifth-generation Integra, it came with a set of expectations. Longtime Acura fans wanted engagement, fun, and a quality interior with a manual shifter wedged between its front seats. But beyond everything else, fans of the DC2 Integra expected one thing: A performance trim level.
That trim has arrived. No longer the Type R of olde, the new Type S still carries the weight of that sport-compact legacy. Enthusiasts want something special, something worthy of that embossed bumper badge, and they’ll get their first taste of it this weekend at the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Photo: Acura
A camouflaged Integra Type S will make its first public U.S. appearance on the legendary Daytona road circuit, leading the 61-car field into the first laps of the race. It will then retire to the paddock, where interested enthusiasts can gawk and gape at its mystery-shrouded body. With the car not set to release until summer, Acura is still keeping specs close to its chest. The car’s appearance, however, will be in full public view — provided you can discern its curves and angles through the camo.
Acura’s no stranger to Daytona, having taken first and second place in the Rolex 24 last year. When you’re the defending champion, coming home to keep your belt, a bit of showboating is allowed — even expected. Why not use the occasion to tease a highly-anticipated model that’s never been in the public eye? After all, what’s the point of that victory if you don’t even get the chance to revel in it?
There is, in the current state of the car world, not as much color on cars as there should be, with automakers prioritizing things like “sales” in trying to justify why customers can have whatever color they want, as long as it’s white, black, or a shade of gray. Infiniti said on Tuesday that they have a new color that is not white, black, or a shade of gray. Of course, it will be “extremely rare,” because let’s not get too out of control. But: Black Opal Metallic is what it’s called and it’ll be on some 2023 Infiniti Q50 Red Sport 400s.
The color of the car will change depending on lighting and view angle, Infiniti says. The color in the top photo, for example, looks green to my eye, while up close it looks more like a sparkly purple-ish green-ish black:
Photo: Infiniti
While in this photo it looks actually black, or dark purple.
Photo: Infiniti
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The color is inspired by opals, you might have guessed, which Infiniti informs me are “mineraloid formed from hydrated silica,” with the black versions most often found in Australia. This version of the Q50 will actually be called the Black Opal Edition, and the badges will be blacked out on the rear, too. A carbon spoiler, meanwhile, is intended to make the car more pleasant to look at.
The whole package will also be an extra $2,200, presuming you are good enough friends with your local Infiniti dealer to even get one of these rare and highly sought-after cars (at least one of those things is true.)
You might also remember the purple on a certain other car in Nissan history, which is very much intentional, as Infiniti says this purple is indeed Midnight Purple. The Q50, meanwhile, is still in its first generation, almost a decade old now. This new color is maybe trying to distract you from that, or maybe even hinting that a bigger update is around the corner.
Plug-in hybrids are a great compromise for people that still want the convenience of a gas car but want to experience the benefits of electrification. Most PHEVs have enough electric driving range to cover commutes and around-town needs while the gas engine alleviates any range anxiety. After years of making excellent hybrids, Lexus is finally getting in the plug-in hybrid game with the NX450h+. It combines the luxury and functionality of the second-generation NX with usable electric power. But it comes at quite a price.
Disclaimer: Lexus offered me the NX450h+ and I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Filling up the tank only once a week is great.
What Is It?
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
The NX is Lexus’ second-smallest crossover, slotting above the UX and below the RX. While it rides on a modular platform that’s shared with everything from the Toyota Sienna minivan to the Lexus ES sedan, the NX is more mechanically related to the Toyota RAV4. This is an important point that I’ll get to later. And if you’ve always wondered what the hell NX stands for, a Lexus rep once told me it means “Nimble Crossover.” Alright.
Specs That Matter
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
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Power comes from the same 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I4 engine that powers the base NX250 and the NX350h hybrid, but the difference is in the electric setup. The 450h+ adds a pair of electric motors that drive the rear wheels, giving this SUV all-wheel drive. Add in an 18.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack powering those motors and the result is the most powerful and efficient NX you can buy. It makes 304 total system horsepower with 364 lb-ft of torque. It also gets 84 mpge – the mile-per-gallon equivalent of gasoline and electric driving – and can go 37 miles on electricity alone. Honestly, though, it’s actually pretty easy to beat the EPA’s estimated EV range. I frequently saw as much as 42 miles of electric range per charge.
How It Drives
Lexus likes to tout the NX450h+ low center of gravity, and indeed, this thing is surprisingly nimble. It’s also surprisingly quick, with plenty of acceleration power for highway merging. The perk of having a battery and electric motors at your disposal is that, in everyday driving, it’s like having a turbo that’s always ready to provide extra boost. Power comes on smoothly and quickly, and the transition between gasoline and electric driving is one of the smoothest I’ve ever experienced. Unfortunately, when you’re relying on the 2.5-liter engine for power, it sounds buzzy and unrefined.
Lexus Advanced Park Assist Demo
What’s great about crossovers this size is how easy they are to maneuver. Parking and getting through tight spots is pretty easy. Parking the NX is made even better thanks to Lexus’ Advanced Park system, which is easier to operate than most other automated parking systems I’ve used. I also have to give Lexus props for placing a physical button on the dash to turn on the Advanced Park tech. There’s no having to line up in a specific spot for the system to self-engage. You simply find the spot you want, press start on the screen and let the car park itself. The system can pull forward, back in, or perform parallel parking maneuvers.
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
Driving in different powertrain modes is just as easy. A button on the center console allows drivers to choose between full-on EV mode, Hybrid or Charge setting, the latter of which uses the gas engine to recharge the battery while you’re driving. In EV mode, the NX450+ is predictably quiet. In Hybrid mode, the drivetrain operates as any other hybrid would, defaulting to electric power as often as possible with the gas engine kicking on as needed.
Charging at home is easy. The NX has an optional 6.6-kilowatt onboard charger ($800) that you simply plug into a standard home outlet. Charging this way, it takes about 4 to 5 hours to fully replenish the battery. It’s a cinch to do overnight. Unfortunately, public charging on a Level 2 outlet is a hit-or-miss affair, but that’s a product of the country’s problematic charging network, not Lexus.
A Few Notable Pros and Cons of the NX450h+
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
The NX has a lot of useful safety systems, but some of them are super sensitive. The pre-collision braking, for example, will sometimes activate when there’s no danger ahead of you. On the other hand, I like things like Safe Exit Assist, which will alert you to passing cars when you’re trying to exit from a parallel parking space. I just wish all of the systems were more cohesive in their integration.
The wireless charging pad doesn’t work well. It often doesn’t detect when a device is placed on top, and when it does work, the slippery surface means your phone moves around a lot when driving, which can cause it to stop charging.
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
The interior door handles are also unnecessarily complicated. The NX uses a dual electronic/standard door handle. At the forward end, you’ll find a braille-like surface that denotes where you should press to exit the car. Next to that, labeling shows how the handle operates manually, in case of power failure or an emergency. This is confusing and takes some getting used to, and seems like the answer to a question nobody asked.
Verdict
Photo: Lawrence Hodge
The NX450h+ is an impressive plug-in effort from a company known for its hybrid excellence. But it may end up being a tough sell to some. For starters, the NX450h+ isn’t cheap. While a regular NX250 starts at a rather reasonable $38,850, you’re looking at well-equipped RX money for the 450h Plus: $57,705. With nearly every option box checked, including a $1,075 destination charge, my orange NX450h Plus costs $62,090.
Now, remember when I said that the NX is mechanically related to the RAV4? The NX450h+ uses the same drivetrain setup as the Toyota RAV4 Prime, which is over $15,000 cheaper. Yes, the Lexus is a little nicer inside, but that’s a big jump in price for effectively the same experience.
None of this is to say that the NX450h Plus is bad. It’s actually very good. But having to drop nearly $60,000 on a compact crossover just for the ability to drive 40 miles on electricity alone is a hard sell, especially when the exact same setup can be had for less money.
Porsche has never been one to shy away from making rare models. We’re talking models where less than 10 have been produced, like the 964 Turbo Cabriolet and the 993 Speedster. Among these rarities is a particular Porsche that wasn’t actually a Porsche at all: the VW T3 B32. It doesn’t look like a Porsche, it’s not badged as a Porsche, but it will definitely sound, like a Porsche.
In 1986, Porsche was fielding two 959s in the Paris Dakar Rally driven by two teams: René Metge partnered with Dominique Lemoyne in one, and Jacky Ickx with Claude Brasseur in the other. And while these 959s were engineered to be off-road beasts, capable of handling the toughest rally in the world, they were still quick. With a 2.8-liter 400 horsepower flat-6, not much could keep up with them, including support vehicles. Porsche did have a third 959 on hand, which was considered for use as a support vehicle, but the team needed something both bigger and fast.
Something else Porsche had on hand was a VW T3 van. Unfortunately, they were hilariously slow, and couldn’t keep up with the fast-paced nature of the race, where like every race, every minute counts. So rather than look for another vehicle or try and make do with what they had, Porsche engineers set to do what any gearhead would do and modded the T3 vans to work with their needs.
Image: Porsche Centrum Gelderland
While standard T3s were available with an array of engines, ranging from 1.6-liter flat fours and I4’s all the way up to a 2.6-liter I5, they were all slow. So rather than mod the existing engine, Porsche took a 288 hp flat-six from a 911 3.2 Carrera and dropped it in the engine bay. Engineers then mated that flat six with a Porsche transmission that routed power to the rear wheels. And since this was meant to keep up with rally racing, engineers also gave the T3 a unique suspension setup and bigger brakes. It was said to have a top speed of only 116 mph, but in reality, it was around 135 mph.
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Image: Porsche Centrum Gelderland
While someone quickly glancing at a VW T3 B32 might not be able to tell it apart from a regular T3, Porsche did a few things to distinguish it. There were larger 16-inch wheels with Fuchs rims, additional side vents to cool the bigger engine, front and rear skirts, and a larger exhaust.
Image: Porsche Centrum Gelderland
Inside there was a full leather interior, a Porsche badge on the steering wheel, and auxiliary gauges under the center console, behind the shifter.
While it’s not known whether or not this thing ever had any production intent, it’s believed that just seven examples of the T3 B32 were ever made. While it wasn’t publicly sold, some ended up in private hands, special customers who had a relationship with Porsche. A few of these even have Porsche VINs. And some are available for sale.
The example you see above is one that’s listed for sale at a Porsche dealer: Porsche Centrum Gelderland. It’s currently listed at €364,900, which with the current exchange rates to the U.S. dollar, that’s over $375,700. It’s in need of a bit of restoration as there’s some wear here and there, but other than that it looks great. While the years have given us Porsche SUVs and a sedan, we may never see anything like a Porsche van again.
Some might call this the Porsche 996’s natural environment. Those people suck.Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
Buying a car is pretty exciting for any car enthusiast, especially if the vehicle you’re buying is one you’ve wanted for a long time. I know that’s true because, over the past week or so, I’ve been engaged in purchasing a car that I’ve wanted for almost my entire life: a Porsche 911.
Now, being an automotive journalist without well-to-do parents, my prospective 911 isn’t my first choice for generation or model. But it’s what I can afford (especially with 911 prices going crazy still), and truth be told, it offers the full 911 experience with very little compromise. I’m talking, of course, about the 996 generation, which spanned model year 1999 to 2005.
Now, before you keyboard warriors start losing your collective shit over rear main seals, intermediate shaft seals and fried egg headlights, I’ll say that, as someone who worked with (specifically in parts) Porsches for years, I’m well aware of the potential hazards of buying a 996. That’s why this article is about helping someone dodge the bullet of buying a bad one.
996 Porsche 911: The Hunt
The first step in finding a good 996 (or any good used car) is actually finding it. That seems obvious, but with the wide variety of online listings, forums and car club pages, there are way more places to look than there used to be. To simplify things, I use AutoTempest to hit around 90 percent of the major listing sites. I also like to check forums like Pelican Parts and Rennlist because often, cars listed there don’t go up on sites like Craigslist, and they’re enthusiast-owned, which can be good.
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Now that you know where to look, you need to know what to look for. Using the 996 as an example, you have a few different variants to pick from based on your budget. I wanted a rear-wheel drive car with a manual transmission. I’m also not too fond of convertibles and wanted to avoid non-black interior colors.
That narrows the field down a ton, but there are still more criteria to consider. With the 996, you need to decide if you want a first-generation or second-generation car. An early (1999 and 2000) first-generation 996 came with no driver aids other than ABS; it had a cable-actuated throttle rather than drive-by-wire, and a more robust dual-row IMS bearing which is the least failure-prone of all the designs. 2001 and 2002 models got an electronic throttle and the least stout IMS bearing.
This is the kind of Craigslist ad you want to see.Photo: Craigslist
Later second-generation cars (2002-2004) came with a larger, more powerful 3.6-liter engine, slightly revised styling, a glovebox, better quality interior materials and clear headlights. They also sport a revised, slightly less failure-prone single-row IMS bearing and an electronic throttle.
I honestly didn’t have a major preference between first and second-generation 996s, so knowing all that, I found a very promising looking 2003 Carrera in Arctic Silver over black with a six-speed manual and a boatload of service history for a not-insane price. This leads us to…
The Test Drive
My prospective car was listed on Craigslist, and the ad offered plenty of information, halfway decent photos and what seemed like a fairly honest representation of the car. Of course, anyone who has tried to buy a used car online knows that things can be deceiving.
My first step was reaching out to the seller, Jon, who immediately came off as an enthusiast. We settled on a time to meet so I could check out the car and drive it, and not only did he show up on time, he brought the car in its natural state: clean, but clearly being used regularly, and the engine compartment hadn’t been cleaned up or detailed.
After shaking hands and bullshitting about cars for a few minutes, I began visually inspecting the 911. This is important because keeping your eyes open and knowing what to look for can save you a ton of time and money before getting further into the buying process.
This is how the car showed up to the test drive: on-time and clean but not too clean.Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
The car presented well and looked much the same as it did in the Craigslist listing. The body was in overall good condition, with some previous parking lot damage (since repaired) that had been noted in the ad and pointed out by Jon in person. A 911 is a low car, so peeking underneath is tough, but there were no obvious drips or smells of burning oil or coolant. I opened the decklid and the frunk and, again, no surprises. For a car with 136,000 miles, it seemed in good shape.
The test drive offered more of the same. While I didn’t get to see a cold start because we met at a neutral location near Jon’s work, the car felt like a 911 should. The steering was direct, the brakes were strong and the engine pulled well and sounded great. The gearbox felt good too. The air conditioning worked, and the interior felt well cared for, if typical 996 cheap.
After the test drive, I went home and collected my thoughts. I wrote down some notes about the drive, the visual condition of the car and the vibe I got from Jon. This is an important and overlooked step, especially if you go and look at a lot of vehicles and have to keep track of all those experiences.
I checked out a couple of other cars but decided that Jon’s silver 2003 was the right one for me, which led to…
The Inspection
One of the most important things you can do when buying a European car out of warranty is to organize a pre-purchase inspection, or PPI. (This applies to other vehicles too, but it’s especially important with German cars of this era.) This involves you taking the car to a shop or a dealer and having them professionally inspect the vehicle to give you a clear picture of your potential purchase’s condition. People skip these because they cost money, but — and I say this from very expensive personal experience — please don’t.
Asking the seller if they’re amenable to having a professional inspection done is an important test in and of itself. If they’re enthusiastic about it, then it’s likely the car is being represented fairly, and they have nothing to hide. If they don’t agree to submit the car to a professional inspection, walk away.
Luckily, Jon was cool with me having the 911 looked over, so I arranged a PPI with a well-regarded Porsche shop on LA’s west side to make the drop-off and pick-up convenient for him.
Auto Werkstatt has been around for quite awhile now, and it’s a great LA Euro car shop.Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
We’re lucky in LA to have a huge variety of quality Porsche independent shops, and in the end, I went with one that I had some experience with (I’d worked with the shop previously) and which could fit me into their schedule. That shop is called Auto Werkstatt, and I’d recommend them to anyone with an air- or water-cooled Porsche in LA.
Auto Werkstatt was kind enough to let me come and oversee the PPI process, and document it for this story. They’re a great shop run by enthusiasts that services most German marques, and if you’re in the area, they deserve your business.
The thing about a PPI on a 911 that might throw a lot of people is the cost. Auto Werkstatt charged me around $630 for the service. That sounds like a lot, and it is, considering they don’t fix anything during the inspection, but a really thorough examination takes time (around three hours) and time costs money.
My mechanic, August, started the PPI with a visual inspection. Unlike my educated-but-still-amateur eye, he’s a pro with almost two decades of experience. He also has a lift, which means he can see things I couldn’t in a Lowes parking lot, like the fact that the nuts on the swaybar end links aren’t original. Is it asinine to point something like this out? Yes. But this is the kind of thing you want your PPI mechanic to notice.
Getting to see your prospective new car up in the air before you buy it is awesome.Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
As the internet will tell you repeatedly, the big thing to look for on a 996 (or 986 Boxster) is an oil leak at the joint between the transmission and engine case. This typically means either a rear main seal leak or a leak from the intermediate shaft bearing cover. Neither is good, and fixing either means removing the transmission. Luckily, this car was completely bone dry underneath. Score!
The big pitfall avoided, we proceeded with the inspection and did find a couple of issues. It’s a 19-year-old sports car with 136,000 miles, after all. The big one is an air-oil separator that’s past its prime, which isn’t mega urgent, but it’s a $2,000 job to fix if you take it to a shop. Parts alone are almost $600. Next, one of the rear shocks is leaking, and all four could use replacing. I want to put coilovers on the car, though, so while this is a bummer, it’s ultimately not a big deal. Lastly, as we moved towards the interior, August discovered the early warning sign of a failing window regulator. This one is a fairly easy DIY with the regulator costing under $200, so again, not a big deal.
Not bad, right? So, with that out of the way, August took the car for a brief test drive. The car had sat overnight, so we got to see a good cold start, thankfully with no big plumes of smoke or anything otherwise untoward. The test drive proved uneventful, and August confirmed my sentiments on the overall driving experience. It’s solid.
The infamous Porsche M96 flat-six engine.Image: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
The last part of the PPI is something you, as a home gamer, aren’t able to do, no matter how skilled. It involves hooking up a Porsche dealership computer, aka PIWIS, to the car to see how it’s been driven, and check for any stored trouble codes.
By “how the car has been driven,” I mean how much time the car has spent at or around redline, and even how much time it’s spent over the indicated redline. I don’t know if this kind of electronic tattle-tale is unique to Porsche, but it can indicate how hard a car has been driven. This car only saw 11 ignitions over 7,900 rpm and didn’t suffer, which is good. But the engine did show 18,202 ignitions between 7,300 and 7,900 rpm, which August explained is a lot.
That sounds insane, and it kind of is, but this is a car that’s meant to be driven hard. Given the overall mechanical condition of the car, high-rpm driving isn’t the end of the world. It might put off some buyers, which would be understandable, but I want a car that’s been well-used and cared for since I plan on driving the hell out of it anyway.
August from Auto Werkstatt is investigating the car’s overrevs with a dealer-level scan tool.Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
In the end, August gave the car a thumbs-up, even going so far as to mention that the thorough inspection generated one of the shortest post-PPI lists he’s seen. This is a big win, and it means that I’ve found a good example and one worth buying. Which I did, for less than $30,000.
A Final Word About Porsche IMS Bearings
So, as I mentioned previously, if you talk about 996-generation 911s or 986-generation Boxsters, you’re going to get a bunch of people warning you about the perils of the IMS bearing, and its ability to take out an entire engine if it fails. The issue has been widely publicized, and many people have made a lot of money off the sale of replacement bearings and their installation.
Here’s the thing, though: it’s not that big of a deal. The failure rates are a lot lower than you might think. Just breathe. Everything is fine. Nothing is fucked here, dude.
The IMS is such a hot topic because it’s a small, ticking-clock kind of problem that can turn into a massively expensive engine rebuild. It’s something you can’t easily see or definitively test. It’s easy to fearmonger people into spending $3,000 to replace the bearing preventively (and the clutch while you’re in there, if it’s a manual car).
The 996’s reputation as a ticking time bomb is a little exaggerated, and with some common sense you can keep yours in one piece (probably).Photo: Kyle Hyatt/Jalopnik
Porsche claimed the failure rates on the early dual-row IMS bearing cars are between one and three percent. That’s tiny. Even the most failure-prone version, the narrow single-row-bearing 2001 and 2002 cars, have a claimed failure rate under 10 percent. That’s not nothing, of course, but now that we’re 20 years on, most of the cars that were going to have a failure have likely had one already.
So, the moral of this story is that you shouldn’t be scared away from a brilliant, affordable sports car just because of a serious but over-reported problem. If a car you’re looking at has had the bearing replaced with an aftermarket solution, that’s awesome, but those cars will have a price premium associated with them. If it hasn’t had the bearing done, chill. Look at your oil filter during services (which you should be doing regularly) to check for metal particles. If you’re extra proactive, send your oil out for analysis by a place like Blackstone Labs and buy a magnetic drain plug because the bearing material is ferrous and will collect on the magnet.
If you need to do a clutch change or have a big rear main seal leak or IMS cover leak, you should replace the bearing while you’re in there. It’d be dumb not to. But there’s no reason to spend a bunch of money if you don’t have a specific reason. Just enjoy your car the way it was meant to be enjoyed. That’s what I’ll be doing with my freshly-PPIed 996.
Like the sedan segment itself, sport sedans are a dying breed. There’s just a small handful of proper mid-size, rear-wheel drive and fun-to-drive sedans left on the U.S. market. Thankfully, BMW isn’t giving up on the segment it pretty much invented. The segment leader 3-Series has been updated for 2023 with styling and features that should keep its faithful buyers from straying to the dark side of SUVs. I just got back from BMW’s annual Test Fest in Southern California, where the brand gathers cars and journalists for a catch-up on all the new models. Here’s what you can expect from the 2023 3-Series.
2023 BMW 3-Series: Classic, Efficient, or M3-lite
For 2023, the 3-Series lineup consists of three powertrain choices for the U.S. market. We start with what BMW calls its core model, the 330i. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 255 horsepower (because remember, BMW’s numeric model names don’t mean anything anymore). That engine gets paired only with an eight-speed automatic — you can’t get a stick-shift in a base 3-series today. The 330i is the classic choice for those that just want a no-frills 3-Series sedan.
2023 BMW 330eImage: BMW
For those who want a bit of efficiency, you can choose the 330e plug-in hybrid. A 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four with 181 hp gets paired with a 107-hp electric motor for 288 total hp. There’s also a 12-kWh battery pack that’ll allow the 330e to drive as far as 22 miles on electric range alone.
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The top of the 3 Series range is what I think of as “the M3 lite,” the M340i. It a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six with 382 hp. The big news for 2023 is the addition of a 48-volt mild hybrid system on the M340i, integrated directly into the eight-speed automatic transmission (again, the only transmission available). While it offers some efficiency improvement and makes for a smoother engine stop/start system, BMW says the main purpose of the hybrid system here is to boost passing power and off-the-line acceleration.
Another plus: xDrive all-wheel drive is available with every powertrain in the 3-Series.
2023 BMW M340i: No Seriously, It’s an M3 Lite
2023 BMW M340i xDrive (Euro model shown)Image: BMW
BMW tossed me the keys to a 2023 M340i and told me to have fun for a few hours of driving in and around the San Bernardino National Forest. I wanted to see how the addition of the mild hybrid system affects this performance sedan’s handling.
The first thing you notice is how quiet the 2023 M340i is under normal driving. Pulling out of the hotel and stopping at a few lights, the hybrid setup seamlessly engages the start/stop system. I usually have a universal hate for these types of systems as they’re often annoying and rough when they engage. But I have to say, the M340i had one of the smoothest stop-start systems I’ve ever encountered. I never actually tried to deactivate it, which is a first for me.
Once I got to the mountain pass, I pressed the sport mode button to liven things up. I’m here to tell you, the M340i is excellent. Some recent BMW decisions may seem to indicate that the brand has forgotten what the Ultimate Driving Machine means, but the 2023 M340i dispels that fear. The chassis, and the way the car responds to inputs, are truly excellent. I understood everything that was going on from the feedback through the steering wheel. I was confident enough to take curves 15-20 mph faster than I would have and not wonder if the front end would wash out without warning.
The mild hybrid system acts almost like a second turbocharger that’s always on boost. Passing slow-moving vehicles on two-lane roads is hilariously easy. And the exhaust note is glorious. BMW’s straight-six has always had a great voice, but I wasn’t expecting it to pop and burble on deceleration. That’s a fun touch, especially on a hybrid, and it definitely turns heads. The performance level is so high, a few years ago this could have been an M3.
2023 BMW 3-Series: New Styling and Features
‘23 BMW 330i with M Sport PackageImage: BMW
The 3-Series gets some styling and tech updates for 2023. The 330i and 330e get sporty new bumpers front and rear, with glossy black air intakes ahead of the front wheels; the headlights and DRLs are slimmer with a more chiseled look.
The 2023 330i and 330e are available with the M Sport appearance package. You get M-specific front and rear aprons, 19-inch alloy wheels and a honeycomb pattern on the front grille. It’s not just all show, either — the M Sport package brings adaptive suspension and sport steering.
BMW M340i rear (Euro model shown)Image: BMW
You’ll really be able to tell the 2023 M340i apart from the rest of the lineup, thanks to its more aggressive styling all around, from a mesh design on the kidney grilles to M-specific exhaust outlets and 18-inch (or optional 19-inch) M split-spoke wheels.
Image: BMW
The interior gets a redesign too. As with so many new vehicles, the 3-Series ditches its separate instrument cluster and infotainment display and replaces them with one large curved panel housing two screens. BMW has updated the 3-Series infotainment system with the latest iDrive 8 operating system, running on a 14.9-inch display, along with a 12.3-inch screen behind the steering wheel. Slimmer air vents and a tiny, toggle-like gear selector help to make the interior sleeker and more minimalist.
The 2023 BMW 3-Series is on sale now. The base-spec 330i starts at $43,295; the 330e adds $1,000. You have to pay to play when it comes to the M340i, which starts at $55,845. Tack on $2,000 to add xDrive all-wheel drive to any trim. All the prices listed here include BMW’s $995 destination fee.
It’s great to see BMW keeping the sport sedan alive with the 3-Series. With the coming EV revolution here’s hoping a future all-electric 3-Series can continue that effort. Until then, the 2023 3-Series does a great job of living up to the legend of the brand.
When the C8 Corvette Z06 was revealed, the internet went absolutely wild for it. More power than the last Z, from a naturally-aspirated engine that revved to 8,600 RPM? It had all the makings of a masterpiece. And, as the reviewshavecomeout, it seems that’s exactly what Chevy built. But how did the company do it? What did it take to build that engine, to make the chassis accommodate it, and combine both into a package cohesive enough to sell?
If you want those answers, you’re in luck. The guys over at Savagegeese have put together a massive documentary on the creation of the new Z06, interviewing engineers, designers, and more to get the full picture of the car’s creation. It’s nearly an hour long, full of everything from interviews to first-drive impressions and track driving. And, oh yeah, that exhaust note.
2023 Corvette C8 Z06 | Making Cars Great Again
Few people on YouTube will go as in-depth on a car as the folks from Savagegeese, and their dedication always shows in the end product. This documentary is a prime example, with more detail and craftsmanship than you’re likely to find nearly anywhere else. You can always tell when someone really cares about what they’re making, and few care care more than these two.
So why not start your weekend with a viewing of the most intensive Z06 documentary on the internet? Grab some dinner, sit down in front of the TV, and learn all about the difficulties GM’s engineers faced in making a high-revving flat-plane supercar usable and comfortable as a daily driver. After all, that golf bag storage means nothing if you don’t want to take the car out to the course, right?
Audi’s R8 has been an incredibly long-serving and successful mid-engine supercar for sensible people who own dental practices or accounting firms. It’s somehow as face-meltingly fast as its twin, the Lamborghini Huracan, but it’s simultaneously more buttoned-down and less intimidating. It’s also currently going the way of the thylacine, and that’s sad. But before Audi puts its mid-engine naturally aspirated supercar out to pasture, the company is giving it one last hurrah.
Photo: Audi
The 2023 Audi R8 Coupe V10 GT RWD will be limited to just 333 units worldwide, and as swan songs go, it’s pretty good. The yowling 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine produces a very healthy 612 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque, directed through a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to the rear wheels exclusively.
It also gets a new driving mode called “Torque Rear,” which lets drivers select their level of stability control intervention. It’s kind of like the big dash knob on a Mercedes-AMG GT R, only different. The important thing is that it will allow the brave or foolhardy to dial back their traction control without necessarily turning it all the way off and subsequently yeeting themselves off a cliff and into the sea or something.
Photo: Audi
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Other notable changes include a 44-lb weight reduction compared to the non-GT RWD Coupe and a black intake manifold, so nerds 15 years from now will know that you were once very cool, moderately wealthy and possessed of a fine relationship with your local Audi dealer. The GT also comes with the carbon aerokit as standard, which looks pretty boss.
The 2023 Audi R8 Coupe V10 GT RWD will retail for 225,000 euros (currently around $220,500, but there are fees and taxes and blah blah, so expect a different price here), and it should start reaching customers sometime next year.
Bad news first: The V8 era at Mercedes-AMG is officially over. The thunderous M177 4.0-liter twin-turbo eight-cylinder that’s powered every AMG 63-series muscle machine since 2015 is not long for this earth. Here’s what will replace it: A Formula 1-inspired hybrid drivetrain that marries the world’s most powerful production-car four-cylinder (with an electrically-boosted turbocharger, no less) to an electric motor driving the rear axle through a two-speed gearbox. In the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, the first AMG to sport the all-new drivetrain, that means a maximum of 671 hp and a whopping 752 lb-ft of torque. Yeah, that’ll help us get over the loss of the V8.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
The all-new C63 marks a whole new era at AMG, a company that’s spent nearly half a century turning Mercedes V8s into raucous tire-shredders. The ‘24 C63’s enormously elaborate drivetrain starts from an impressive foundation: The M139L 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, first developed by AMG for the Mercedes-AMG A45, CLA45 and GLA45. In those models, the tiny turbo engine was the most powerful four-cylinder ever fitted to a production vehicle, cranking out 416 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Now, thanks to a nifty electric turbocharger setup, this engine pumps out even more power: 469 hp at 6,750 rpm and 402 lb-ft from 5,000 to 5,500 rpm. That means the 1,991-cc M139L shatters its own record as the most powerful production four-cylinder in history, pumping out a hair less than 235 hp per liter of displacement — or put another way, a touch over 117 hp per cylinder.
That output comes courtesy of a newly enlarged turbo with electric assist, meaning the turbo can spool up on electric power before exhaust pressure takes over, helping to eliminate lag and create sharper response. This is the first production-car application of this electric turbocharger technology, which comes directly from today’s Formula 1 hybrid drivetrains and takes advantage of the new C63’s 400-volt electrical architecture.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
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Of course, the new huge turbocharger isn’t the only instance of electric power boost. The new C63 has a 201-hp, 236 lb-ft electric motor driving the rear axle through a two-speed gearbox, assisting the gasoline engine during hard acceleration. With AMG Performance 4Matic+ all-wheel drive with Drift Mode, the C63 puts a maximum of 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels, with the gasoline engine driving through AMG’s nine-speed automatic transmission with a wet clutch in place of a torque converter for snappier acceleration and gear shifts.
Mercedes says the new muscle sedan can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds, and power from both the longitudinally-mounted gas engine and the rear-axle electric motor can be shifted to the front axle when the rear wheels slip. The two-speed gearbox that transmits the rear-axle motor’s torque shifts automatically based on speed and load; the lower of the two ratios is good for up to 87 mph. The motor delivers 94 hp continuously, with the full 201 hp available in 10-second bursts.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
The 400-volt, 6.1-kWh, 196-lb, liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery driving the axle motor rests above the rear axle for optimum weight distribution. While the new C63 is technically a plug-in hybrid, and can reach speeds of up to 81 mph on electric power alone, Mercedes-AMG was quick to point out in a press release that “the battery is designed for fast power delivery and draw rather than longest possible range.”
The new C63 bears a passing resemblance to lesser C-class sedans, but benefits from a ton of AMG-specific changes. The wheelbase has been stretched by 0.4 inches, with the front-end bodywork lengthened by 2.2 inches. Overall, the new C63 is a full three inches wider at the front fenders and 3.3 inches longer nose-to-tail. The new hybrid muscle sedan rides on standard 19-inch staggered wheels and tires, with 20s optional.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
The compact performance sedan has standard rear-wheel steering, which makes the car more nimble in tight turns and more stable during high-speed highway maneuvers, and rides on Mercedes’ AMG Ride Control adaptive suspension with steel springs. The new C63 offers a whopping eight drive modes: Electric, Comfort, Battery Hold, Sport, Sport+, Race, Slippery and Individual, each of which tweaks the drivetrain output, steering, suspension and sound.
Because, yes, this is a four-cylinder hybrid, and that means AMG had to resort to augmented drivetrain noises to replace the hammering rumble of that old twin-turbo V8. A single loudspeaker in the front bumper and a two-speaker soundbar at the rear emanate warning noises when the C63 is driving in pure EV mode; when traveling under internal-combustion power, the system picks up sound from a pressure sensor in the exhaust system and “enrich[es] it further before it’s emitted in the interior via the entertainment sound system, thus making it possible to experience the signature AMG sound.” The C63 has iron-rotor brakes with six-piston calipers up front and single-piston calipers in the rear, plus four levels of regenerative braking ranging from nearly zero regen to full one-pedal driving.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
Inside, it has screens and screens and ambient lighting and shiny trim and screens and screens.
Photo: Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG has not yet revealed when the new C63 S E Performance will go on sale, nor has the automaker disclosed the price. We will certainly learn all of that info before Mercedes invites journalists to drive this vehicle for themselves.
We’ve known for awhile that Mercedes-AMG would be heading in this direction. Big V8s are going out of vogue (even if the AMG 4.0-liter V8 wasn’t that big in the grand scheme of things). Some gearheads will weep and gnash over this. But if the alternative is stuff like this — a C-class with more horsepower and torque than ever before, with pure plug-in EV driving capability and F1-inspired turbo and hybrid tech — it feels a little silly crying over what’s gone to the past.
Honda has finallyrevealed just about every detail you wanted to know about the 2023 Civic Type R. Here’s the big ones: 315 hp at 6,500 rpm and 310 lb-ft of torque from 2,600 to 4,000 rpm. That gives the new top-dog Civic 157.8 hp per liter, and makes it the most powerful production vehicle Honda has ever sold in the U.S.
We’ve seen just about every angle of the new Type R by now, but today we have numbers to back up the looks. Technically, this is the sixth generation of the Civic Type R, but it’s only the second to be officially imported to the U.S. And compared to the outgoing Type R, there’s a lot of familiar stuff in this new model: The K20C1 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four from the last Type R returns for duty, as does the six-speed manual transmission.
Photo: Honda
Honda managed to squeeze 9 more horses and 15 more lb-ft of torque out of that engine thanks to a revised turbocharger, improvements to intake air flow, and a more efficient straight-through exhaust system. That’s slightly less than the 326-hp rumor we saw floating around this week, but it’s basically right on the money with Steve’s semi-educated prediction from July. Nice work, DaSilva.
The engine redlines at 7,000 rpm, and makes a maximum of 23.3 psi of boost. It’s paired with a lighter flywheel for better response, and the six-speed manual (the only transmission available) gets more precise shift gates and an improved automatic rev-matching system. A bigger radiator, larger grille openings and an air-extractor vent in the hood all help manage the heat that mighty little motor will create. A helical-type limited-slip differential helps put the power down, while the dual-axis front suspension has been tweaked to keep torque-steer at bay.
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Photo: Honda
The old Type R had a nifty three-tip exhaust setup that managed to be quiet in polite driving and throaty when you were hooning it, without the use of electronics or any moving parts. The new Honda hot hatch uses an active exhaust valve that opens a less-muffled circuit under hard driving. The triple tips remain, though, and I’m grateful for that — it’s become a bit of a Type R tradition.
The new 11th-generation Civic is slightly bigger than the previous model, and so the new Type R has grown a little in basically every dimension. It’s 180.9 inches long, 55.4 inches high, and 74.4 inches wide overall. The 107.7-inch wheelbase is 1.4 inches longer, and the Type R’s track was widened by a full inch up front (to 64 inches), 0.75 inches at the rear (now measuring 63.5 inches). Like the previous model, the new Type R uses strut suspension up front and a multilink setup at the rear, and the new model gets 20-mm-wider 265/30 Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on 19-inch matte black wheels at all four corners. Overall, the new Type R is 0.8 inches longer and 0.6 inches wider than the previous model, but the roof sits a full half-inch lower.
Photo: Honda
Every body panel ahead of the A-pillar is unique on the Type R, and the wider stance actually necessitated wider rear doors to help the body blend into the aggressive rear fender flares. Out back, the Type R gets a tall and aggressive rear spoiler on aluminum perches as well as an under-body diffuser.
All these power, chassis and aero improvements add up: As Honda revealed earlier this year, the new Type R beat its own record around Suzuka Circuit by nearly a full second, setting a front-drive record in the process. Honda cheekily notes in today’s press release that the new Type R was tested on the Nürburgring, though the automaker hasn’t revealed a lap time. Maybe we’ll learn that soon?
The Civic Type R will be available standard painted in Rallye red or Crystal black pearl; optional paint colors are Boost blue, Sonic grey pearl, or, of course, Championship white, a shade that’s only ever been offered on Honda Type R products.
Photo: Honda
Inside, Honda has expanded the Type R’s signature red upholstery, wrapping the entire floor in crimson (though the rear seats are still basic black). New lightweight front seats move the driver a smidge lower, with outward vision aided by the 11th-generation Civic’s lower dashboard, thinner pillars and relocated side-view mirrors. This being a Type R, the shift knob is brushed aluminum with a red-painted shift pattern, and there’s a numbered plaque on the dashboard.
The all-digital instrument panel changes configuration as you switch through four drive modes — Comfort, Sport, R+, and Individual — and the Civic Type R gets a newly improved version of Honda LogR, a built-in data logger to record lap times and input traces. Where previous versions of Honda LogR required you to download a smartphone app, this latest version is entirely standalone. Like all new Civics, the Type R has a 9-inch touchscreen in the dashboard, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless Qi phone charging. Honda’s Bose Centerpoint sound system is standard on the Type R.
There are two important numbers that Honda has not yet released: The 2023 Type R’s curb weight, and its price. The automaker will have to let those numbers out soon, because the new Type R is promised to hit the streets this fall.