Automotive

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime: Quick but Detailed Look at the Trim Levels & Options

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime: Quick but Detailed Look at the Trim Levels & Options The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is the PHEV variant of the popular SUV. Two trim levels are available along with several optional packages. Expect the Toyota RAV4 Prime in dealerships later this summer. Toyota recently shared more information about the 2021 RAV4 Prime, the RAV4’s first-ever plug-in model. Unveiled at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show, Toyota bills the RAV4 Prime as a performance-minded rendition of their SUV line. Also, the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime serves as a further extension of the company’s hybrid platforms.

However, before striking out for your local Toyota dealership, what should you, as the consumer, know about the all-new RAV4 Prime? And what does this reimagination of the standard RAV4 offer to the SUV’s overall driving experience? Let’s take a look.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime At a Glance

Toyota touts the RAV4 Prime as being their quickest to date, offering a maximum output of 300 horsepower. The RAV4 Prime, according to Toyota, can complete a zero to 60 mph pull in just shy of six seconds. Also standard is Toyota’s Electronic On-Demand AWD; however, the capabilities do not end with speed and agility.

According to Toyota, the plug-in RAV4 Prime can travel about 42 miles on a single battery charge and is capable of achieving a manufacturer estimated 94 combined MPGe.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime. Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.SE Standard Features

The SE seeks to provide consumers with a sporty yet classy driving experience. Exterior features include 18-inch painted and machined alloy wheels, piano black exterior accents, a custom grille, and a front lower spoiler. A power back door is also included for convenience when loading cargo.

The vehicle’s list of standard interior features is quite extensive and should be well received by most consumers. The Rav4 Prime’s cabin has heated front seats, with the driver seat featuring eight-way power and additional lumbar support.

Also included in all SE vehicles is a seven-inch multi-information display, in addition to a prominent, eight-inch touchscreen audio interface. Audio connectivity options include Amazon Alexa, as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. You can also charge your device with the 3 kW onboard charger.

The available Weather & Moonroof Package ($1,665) adds a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and rain-sensing windshield wipers with de-icer function.

Starting MSRP for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime SE is $38,100.

Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.XSE Standard Features

The XSE builds upon the sporty influence and tech features found in the SE above. All XSE models have an available two-tone exterior paint scheme that pairs a black roof with select base colors. For the RAV4 Prime’s inaugural year, Supersonic Red will be added to the color palette and will be available with the black roof.

All XSE models come standard with several interior amenities, embodying both comfort and functionality. The presence of ambient interior lighting, SofTex-trimmed seat surfaces, and a moonroof provide consumers with a sense of luxury. Meanwhile, such functional features as paddle shifters and an auto-dimming rearview mirror complement the overall driving experience.

Also standard is Toyota’s interactive Audio Plus system, which employs a nine-inch touchscreen interface, and a JBL speaker package.

Starting MSRP for the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE is $41,425.

XSE Available Options

Weather Package ($815)Heated Steering WheelHeated Rear Outboard SeatsRain Sensing Wipers w/Wiper De-IcerWeather and Audio Package ($2,435)Weather package plus:JBL Premium AudioDynamic Navigation with 3 year trialDestination Assist with 1 year trialWeather with Audio and Premium Package ($5,760)Weather and Audio package plus:AC (6.6kW) Enhanced ChargerDigital Rearview Mirror120V/1500W AC power outlet in cargo areaPanoramic MoonroofKick-Type Power Back DoorSofTex®-trimmed seats with sporty red accents and stitchingBird’s Eye View Camera4-way power adjustable front passenger seat with seatback pocketSmart Key System on all doorsPerforated Heated & Ventilated Front SeatsParking Assist with Automatic BrakingAdaptive Front Headlight SystemHead-Up DisplayPhoto: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.Safety Comes Standard

Toyota has never shied away from placing vehicle safety on a pedestal. This remains true for the RAV4 Prime, as Toyota Safety Sense is offered as standard operating equipment. This package includes such features as Pre-Collision Pedestrian Detection, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, and Lane Tracing Assist.

Related: On the road with the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. A Worthy Adaptation?

Though only time will tell, it seems highly probable consumers will find favor with the new RAV4 Prime. With a list of user-friendly amenities and some notable performance upgrades, there is a lot to love about the RAV4 Prime. Upon its summer 2020 release, it seems the RAV4 Prime is poised to join Toyota’s ever-growing list of highly practical hybrid vehicles.

Josh Boyd is an ASE Certified technician with over a decade of experience in automotive repair. When not under the hood, he can be found in the woods or on the water, pursuing his other passions of hunting and fishing.

2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Gallery

Photos & Source: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Original article: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime: Quick but Detailed Look at the Trim Levels & Options

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Chapter 4: Leaving Palm Springs

Chapter 4: Leaving Palm Springs The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me is a gasoline-fueled narrative by automotive journalist Tony Borroz. It details the joys, thrills, and even the uncertainties of the car-obsessed lifestyle. In advance of the book’s release, we are previewing the first few chapters.
Below is the first half of chapter 4, Leaving Palm Springs. We will announce the book’s release later this year on our Twitter page.
I fill my tank with gas at the unattended station. The cool morning desert air is still and the sun is somewhere over there, on the other side of a ridge of rocks that could be from a movie set. Late January in the desert southwest is pleasant in the extreme. It’s cold now, of course. Sand and dirt and what passes for plants out here hold as much heat as a sieve, but by midday, it’ll be warmer than 90 percent of the country.
Driving here, now, at this time of day gives the whole place an odd ghost town feeling. By the time I am out of Palm Springs, I have seen less than a dozen other humans. It’s not that early, but no one seems to be getting to their jobs, what people there are around here that actually work. Also missing are those crack-of-dawn-retiree walkers that I’ve seen in other places. Honestly, morning people worry me. My dad was a morning guy. He could wake up at 4:00 o’clock fresh as a daisy, ready and raring to go. And most of the time he’d drag us with him. I am not a morning person. Most writers are not. My tendency is to stay up late, sleep late, get up late.
Quiet & Empty
There are, however, those times when getting up early is Necessary and Required. Watching Grand Prix races on TV is one of them. Another one is getting on the road. No, this isn’t 4:00 friggin’ o’clock in the morning, but it’s early enough for me. By the time this day is over I am going to be in a completely different world, climatologically speaking. On top of that, I am going to have to skirt around the “greater L.A. area.”
Sure, sure, the navigation lady in my phone is urging me to take the direct route, right to the 5, then north. She pleads with me not to head out through Lancaster and such, saying it will add to my travel time. But I know she’s lying to me. Like I am going to drive through the very definition of “bad traffic” because she thinks it’s a good idea.
So I more or less know my route, but for the moment I am driving through the broad, overly manicured, lovingly cleaned and swept streets of Palm Springs, deserted to a level befitting a biological plague, heading past the airport.
“Sand and dirt and what passes for plants out here hold as much heat as a sieve, but by midday, it’ll be warmer than 90 percent of the country.”
Plane Site
The airport is a place of consternation for the well-healed residents of Palm Springs. Some airline or another has been granted the right to fly in something larger than a Piper Cub, and the residents are anxious about the noise. As I drive by the airstrip, I see two Boeing BBJs – Boeing Business Jets, the personal plane version of the 737 airliner (and coincidentally a project my host in Palm Springs, Bob, worked on at The Lazy B) – a literal handful of Gulfstreams, a bunch of Lears, Embraers and other such Maybachs of the skies and, somewhat incongruously, a line of older prop planes. There’s a T-6 Texan WWII-era trainer, and there’s another Texan and that’s a . . . “Holy shit! That’s a Bearcat!” I say out loud to myself.
The Grumman F8F Bearcat was a piston-engine, single seat naval fighter from the Second World War. It entered service very late and saw very little action. Which is a pity, cause Bearcats were pipe-hitting SOBs of an airplane. Distressingly small and deliciously over-engined, Bearcats could and would tear to you pieces. The pilots that flew them unequivocally say they were the best prop-driven plane in the Pacific. Corsairs? Bearcats could out turn them, and with their four 20 mm canons, out gun them. Nakajima Ki-84 Franks (as in the “Forget it, it’s a Frank” warning to U.S. pilots) and Raidens and literally anything else the Imperial Army or Navy of Japan could put up against it were little more than targets.
If you were piloting a Grumman F8F Bearcat, your power and capabilities gave you a god-like invulnerability. You had the firepower and the maneuverability to beat anyone in the skies, and if you messed up, that Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp had enough power and speed to get your butt out town and away before the enemy knew you’d ducked out.
Of course, all of the power and capability of the Bearcat was rendered irrelevant by the jet engine. Even the early jet fighters that were introduced about the same time as the Grumman F8F were a literal revolution in the air. Speeds were up by 50 percent at a stroke; turning loads were instantly flirting with blackout levels of g-force. Those once “what if” talking points at the local pilot watering hole were now possible because of the Grumman F8F Bearcat and its late-war ilk.
An XF8F-1 prototype at the NACA Langley Research Facility in 1945. Photo: Wikipedia, public domain via NASA.

Out With The Old
New technology can render older calculations meaningless by the end of the first day of its life. This applies to cars just as well as airplanes (or computers or home heating or medical knowledge, literally everything). In 1959 the world of high speed oval racing was a known technical quantity at places like Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you wanted to go fast, you built up a big, front-engined roadster made by the likes of A.J. Watson or Quinn Epperly, kicked butt, drank the milk, and took home the Borg-Warner Trophy. Until this half-nuts Australian named Jack Brabham showed up in a British made Cooper with an engine half the size of an Offenhauser in 1959.
And that wasn’t the half of it.
To make matters even stranger, the engine was in the back of the car! Who did that? Would that even work? Was that even legal? To answer that, answer this: When was the last time you saw a front-engined formula car? Exactly. Technology, at the stroke of a pen on a drawing board, redrew what this New World of vehicular transportation would look like.
I was thinking of that – the technological progress that moves inexorably over our automotive world – as I got to the other side of Palm Springs; the cloverleaf swoop onto the 10 to head west by north to full north when I saw them: scores and scores of giant wind turbines. It would seem that Palm Springs or the county or whoever is in charge of the local community, decided to get into wind power in a sizeable way. All but just a few were casually turning away, literally making electrical power out of thin air.

In With The New
And why not? Palm Springs is in a fairly windy place, so why not grab some of that kinetic energy rather than letting it go by? The same goes for solar power, especially down here. During my time in Arizona it was mystifying to me there weren’t solar panels and solar water heaters on every roof of every building in the state. It’s sunny 284 days of the year. That’s nearly 78 percent of the time. How can you not take advantage of all that free thermal energy otherwise going to waste?
When I lived on Oahu, one of the houses I lived in had solar water heater panels. These were bone-simple affairs: a shallow box painted flat black and covered with Plexiglas. Inside was a serpentine of black, four-inch PVC pipes running back and forth, pumped full of circulating water. That was it. That’s where 100 percent of my hot water came from. Curious, I held a meat thermometer under the hot water when I first moved in. 148 degrees. That was the water temp coming out of the tap. Heated only by the sun. Impressive, to say the least. I noticed that all the government buildings (including military and low income housing) all had solar water heaters. Why not? Not using solar power, both for heating and for electrical power generation, is like walking by a pile of money and saying, “Oh no, I don’t need any more money.”
It was easy to see our future in a town as fortunately located as Palm Springs. With the killer confluence of lots of wind, lots of sun, and lots of eco-conscious rich white people from Hollywood, you don’t have to be a wizard to see the path forward. From all those (eventual) solar panels and current wind turbines, direct to your home, and from there, direct to your Tesla. Eventually, when it’s not for your $100,000 Tesla, but when it’s for your $22,000 Chevy EV and electric buses and such, it will be for all of us.
Still, the Grumman F8F Bearcat was a helluva plane, no two ways about it. But if I’m flying a North American F 86 Sabre, it’s a target.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

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Inside The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak

Inside The Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak Racing improves the breed. That is a known truth in both horse and automotive racing. I have long maintained the best way to improve and market electric cars is to race them. It looks like Volkswagen has heard my pleas, because they’ve just rolled out this nasty looking, all-electric race car to have a crack at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Fearless Few
The Pikes Peak race, for those of you bereft of this knowledge, is one of the last “You’re going to die!! You’re crazy!!” racing events on the planet. It’s a twelve-and-a-half mile “Race To The Clouds” with a finishing line over 14,000 feet. There are sections of the run that are crazy, Glen Cove and The Ws, and then there are the sections of the run that are borderline suicidal: The Devil’s Playground, Bottomless Pit, etc. You get those turns wrong, and by the time your wreckage stops bouncing your clothes will be out of style.
You need confidence and skill and a great amount of bravery to take this place on. And those who have, and succeeded, have all three of those in large quantities; racers like Unser (literally the entire family) and Walter Rohrl and Ari Vatanen and Michelle Mouton and Sébastien Loeb. Loeb, arguable the greatest rally driver of all time, holds the outright course record at Pikes Peak. Volkswagen has the idea that they should hold, if not the outright record, then at least the EV record.
Photo: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Power & Performance
Uninterestingly named the “I.D. R Pikes Peak,” it is a particularly nasty looking little beast. The IDRPP looks like a 7/8th scale model of a Le Mans car, only with the driver sitting smack in the middle (it looks) and a no-holds-barred approach to aerodynamics. There’s tons of subtle aero work here and there, and then you get to that rear wing and realize “subtle” has nothing to do with this car.
The I.D. R Pikes Peak weighs less than 2,500 lbs., cranks out 680 horsepower and 479 lb-ft. of torque, and hits 60 in 2.25 seconds. VW says it is “faster than even Formula 1 and Formula E cars,” to which I say, yes, but that’s in a straight line to 60. Racing is more than that. With those numbers backing up the Wolfsburg company, they hope to beat the existing electric car record (8:57.118) in the annual Race to the Clouds, if not the outright record.
VW points out that the IDRPP has not one, but two electric motors, generating the system’s capacity of 680 horsepower. For EVs, that’s not uncommon, given that electric motors, even powerful ones, are about the size of a picnic basket. Bizarrely, this is not the first time VW has run at Pikes Peak with a twin-engine car. It’s not even the second. In 1985, 1986, and 1987, Volkswagen engineers opted for two power units in a twin-engine Golf that VW described as “sensational.” You say “sensational,” I say “mental.” Tomayto, Tomahto.
Photo: Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Battery Technology
Power storage is accomplished via lithium-ion batteries that are similar to production EVs. Volkswagen says power density is the crucial factor for the system when producing high voltage, and Li-Ion batts are just the ticket. They further point out that around 20 percent of the electric energy needed will be generated during the drive, the key to that being energy recovery. The IDRPP uses the same energy recovery scheme found in everyday Teslas and Priuses, turning the electric motors into generators when you hit the binders, converting some of the braking energy back into electricity, and then storing this in the battery.
Lone Wolf
Romain Dumas was chosen for the driving duties. Dumas, a 39-year-old Frenchman, seems like an odd choice at first. Normally, people who run at Pikes Peak are rally types (i.e. completely nerveless Scandinavians with ice water for blood and zero self-preservation instinct), but Romain Dumas is a former 24 Hours of Le Mans champion and defending Pikes Peak champion. So he does seem like a good choice.
“It was absolutely fantastic to see the completed I.D. R for the first time, and to take it out for its first spin,” Dumas said. “What Volkswagen has managed to put together from scratch over the past few months has my greatest respect.”
Precise Calculations
And if running a race that features no guard rails and drops measured in the thousands of feet isn’t difficult enough, bear in mind that testing on the hill climb is very incomplete. You can only run on certain sections and the bulk of the testing is not done on Pikes Peak at all, but at racetracks. So, it’s educated guesswork, but guesswork nonetheless. I hope everybody has their sums right.
A 4,720 vertical-foot climb, 156 corners, only a single run is allowed, sunshine at the start but up at the 14,115-foot summit of Pikes Peak it can be below freezing.
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb gets underway on June 24th in Colorado Springs, Colorado. What’s not to love?
“We now have a packed schedule of testing ahead of us and I am looking forward to every meter,” Dumas said.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.
Photos & Source: Volkswagen of America, Inc.

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Volvo Expands Electrification Commitment, Focuses On China

Volvo Expands Electrification Commitment, Focuses On China Volvo Cars wants fully electric vehicles to consist of half their lineup by 2025. The announcement builds on Volvo’s commitment last year that all new models released from 2019 will be available as either a mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicle.
“Last year we made a commitment to electrification in preparation for an era beyond the internal combustion engine,” explained Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Volvo Cars.
Emerging Markets
The move is also part of Volvo’s strategy to strengthen itself in China, a prime market for electrified vehicles. The Chinese government plans to have new-energy vehicles account for more than 20 percent of annual sales by 2025, which equates to more than seven million autos, based on Chinese government forecasts.
“China’s electric future is Volvo Cars’ electric future,” Samuelsson added. “Today we reinforce and expand that commitment in the world’s leading market for electrified cars.”
Volvo currently assembles the S90 and S90L T8 Twin Engine in China, and production of the XC60 T8 Twin Engine will commence in China soon, meaning all three Volvo China plants – Luqiao, Chengdu, and Daqing – will produce either plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles.
Volvo XC40 T5 plug-in hybrid. Photo: Volvo Car Group.
Forthcoming Models
China is Volvo Cars’ largest individual market, recording a 23.3 percent first quarter sales increase this year alone, while sales in China last year passed 100,000 units for the first time. The eagerly anticipated XC40, crowned 2018 European Car of the Year, is expected to find a warm audience in China as well.
“The early success of the XC40 supports Volvo Cars’ expectations of strong demand for its new small SUV in China,” reads a statement from Volvo Cars. “These expectations are also underpinned by growth forecasts for the segment over the next five years, as well as a growing middle-class population and China GDP growth trends driven by domestic consumption.”
Volvo will have an extensive array of hybrid vehicles on display at the Beijing Auto Show, which runs through May 4th.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: Volvo Car Group.

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2017 Shanghai Preview: The Chevrolet FNR-X Concept provides a glimpse into future model designs

2017 Shanghai Preview: The Chevrolet FNR-X Concept provides a glimpse into future model designs Chevrolet introduces a new crossover concept that could be anything for the Chinese market.

What’s going on?
On the complete opposite side of the planet in China is the 2017 Shanghai Auto Show, just as we exit the 2017 New York International Auto Show. That said, some new cars and concepts did make their debut, mainly in the Chinese market. This latest one is the Chevrolet FNR-X Concept Vehicle.
At first, it looks like a slick and handsome take on a sleek compact crossover. But Chevrolet says it’s not quite exactly that….
So…what is it then?
“The Chevrolet-FNR is one of Chevrolet’s most forward-thinking concept cars, truly exemplifying the brand’s passion for innovation and ingenuity,” said Alan Batey, GM’s executive vice president of GM North America and Chevy worldwide. “The FNR-X builds on the design and technology showcased on the original FNR concept and embodies the belief at Chevrolet’s core that anything is possible.”
In Chevy’s words, the FNR-X is more of a design concept, previewing styling cues and other visual elements that will eventually show up in future models. This also leaves ambiguity for the FNR-X itself may or may not reach production in its current form.
Either way, the design concept is very attractive and handsome for a crossover. In fact, if the next-generation Chevrolet Trax resembled anything like the FNR-X Concept, they would get some pretty high scores in the aesthetics department for sure.
What else is cool about the FNR-X Concept?
The FNR-X Concept features active bodywork to improve aerodynamics during high-speed driving. It works in tandem with the suspension modes and the driver-selectable profiles available for choosing.
Powering the FNR-X is a plug-in gas-electric hybrid powertrain. Like most plug-in hybrids today, can switch in between gas and electric propulsion, or all-electric propulsion.
– By: Chris Chin
2017 Auto Shanghai – Chevrolet FNR-X Concept Photo Gallery

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Letter From The UK: Blast From The Past

Letter From The UK: Blast From The Past

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the more companies talk about the quality of their customer service, the worse it gets. The bigger the organization the worse it gets, and so on. Beyond that is the absolute nadir of customer service that currently is a long established airline company whose name, like the Dark Lord’s, is not mentioned in polite circles.
It was not always like this. Once upon a time, shops and trades and businesses were local and the customer knew with whom they were dealing. Customer service was not spoken of because it was expected and given automatically.
Staff were helpful, polite, and above all, were allowed to use their common sense. You don’t get that out of a company manual.
Too Much Complexity
To be fair, the retail car industry hasn’t really fallen into that trap, although there is a sense of sales staff performing rather than serving. In such a cut-throat business, the need to stay on top of one’s game is obviously paramount. Customer service in car dealerships is usually excellent, if a little slick. What has changed for the worst though is cost. The complexity of modern cars and, for the most part, the total inability of the average customer to fix them at home means expensive garage bills when even the slightest thing goes wrong. The car makers know this.
Well, according to an admittedly dusty and neglected four-year old report I came across, the public are beginning to question the need for more and more superfluous gadgets and unnecessary extras on cars, which simply add to the expense and complexity. Over 70% of drivers, the report states, would happily do without an electronic parking brake or electrically adjustable seats, for example. They prefer to be connected to the road rather than the World Wide Web. Car makers have built themselves into a corner. They’ve nowhere to go to make their product better than the next showroom, except by the practice of adding more and more trinkets and geegaws.
The result of this is that customers are saving money by selecting smaller, less well featured models, like basic city cars, and sales of these have risen exponentially. Here in the UK, there are many sightings of the Dacia Sandero, Europe’s cheapest car, and the thing is, it isn’t at all bad.
But isn’t all this new car business just a bit tedious? Slick servers, boring vehicles, manufactured customer service; please choose from the following twenty-seven options, your call is important to us so we’ll keep you hanging on until hell freezes over and so on. Where’s the fun and what used to be known as the joy of motoring? Where’s the real customer service?
Photo: Classic Trader.
Going Back In Time
There is a way to travel back in time to an era when the words “customer service” actually meant something, and cars were simple to fix. Buy a classic car. In your heart of hearts you know this to be true. Anyone who buys a classic is obviously going to be hated by the monomaniacal lobby who demand, not unlike themselves, that cars emit nothing more than hot air, but this has to be balanced against the pleasure of driving old school.
There are plenty of classic cars to choose from and they don’t all break auction records. In Europe, a recent top ten list is dominated by Porsche with four different classic 911s featured in the top ten, two of which stand at the top of the rankings. Sure, these, and the evergreen Jaguar E-Type are a little costly but the list also includes the Fiat 500 and the old Alfa Romeo Guilia. In the United States, the classic cars are maybe different but the same principles apply.
Photo: Classic Trader.

Clubs & Specialists
Classic supercars are clearly beyond the reach of the average Joe but here in the UK for example, enthusiasts fettle all manner of older cars. Remember, classic cars don’t have to come from the dim and distant past; the cars of the nineties and around the millennium can be purchased reasonably, cheaply, and with no expensive garage bills lurking over the horizon.
For the mechanically uninitiated, there are friendly owner clubs and specialists in vehicle servicing and sales. A good independent garage with a skilled staff can usually help, and almost certainly at a fairer price than most main dealerships.
It really is possible to enjoy simple, no frills motoring in a car that, despite its age, is entirely capable of providing good daily service. Investing in a classic means more than just buying an old banger and hoping for the best. For a start, you’ll be ahead of the game. They are devoid of all the usual extras routinely found on a modern car. They are simply engineered and straightforward to fix, so even if you have to take it to a specialist, it still shouldn’t cost the earth to repair.
People seem to be routinely surprised that these cars keep going, but the fact is there exist many enthusiastic club collectors and professional suppliers who seem to be able to source classic car parts at will. What’s more, they will have true motor knowledge and you will receive good customer care without it ever being mentioned once. Classic car owners must stand, if I may use the word, united.
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite
Cover Photo: AutoFarm

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2017 Shanghai Preview: The 2018 Lexus NX refreshed to look more like it's larger RX sibling

2017 Shanghai Preview: The 2018 Lexus NX refreshed to look more like it's larger RX sibling The 2018 Lexus NX debuts at the Shanghai Motor Show to continue its success.

What’s going on?
When Lexus introduced the entry-level NX luxury crossover to the world, it was met with mixed critical reception. But being a crossover and a Lexus, the general buying public swooned over it.
Lexus knew they had a breadwinner on their hands. So, being the NX came out in late 2014, it’s pretty much due for a facelift. And that facelift is here.
What’s new about the 2018 Lexus NX?
As with all midlife refreshes, the 2018 Lexus NX mainly benefits from a lot of visual, packaging, and optional updates to sweeten the deal. Lexus claims they went a little further, updating various suspension bits–like bushings and the relocation of certain mounting points–to improve handling response and ride quality.
Visually, if you think the NX looks pretty much the same, that’s because it is, for the most part. The changes lie in the upper portion of the grille, which Lexus says is better flows better with the hood and the shoulder line. The result is a slightly sleeker design and improved aerodynamics.
“Starting at the spindle grille, the way the front edges connect to the front fenders results in a much bolder expression than before, clearly highlighting the NX’s style design architecture,” said the NX’s chief exterior designer, Shin Kamiura. “We’ve also changed the shape of the lower front bumper to better support the spindle grille, as well as relocated the fog lamps to the corner of the front bumpers, separating them from the ducts. The result is a front fascia with a stronger and more aggressive presence.”
The rear-end of the NX also gains some updates, contributing to the sportier appearance overall. The lower rear fascia receives more elements to mimic the front “spindle” grille. The taillights also slim down in appearance. Rounding out the package are some new wheel designs in size 18-inch as well.
Same engines, plenty of value
Keeping with Lexus’ tradition for value and luxury, you can bet the new 2018 NX is just as well-equipped as the model it replaces. Adding to the standard options list is Lexus’ latest Safety System+. This makes active and passive driver aids such as Pre-Collision System, Dynamic Radar Cruise Ctonrol, Lane Departure Alert, and Automatic High Beams, all standard.
The base model remains to be the NX 200t, utilizing Toyota’s latest 2.0L turbocharged inline-four. Opting for the next level up would be the NX 300h, serving up Lexus’ familiar 2.5L hybridized inline-four.
Launch dates and pricing details aren’t available just yet. Lexus should be releasing those over the next several months.
– By: Chris Chin
2017 Auto Shanghai – 2018 Lexus NX Crossover

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Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Even Q Would Be Impressed

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Even Q Would Be Impressed The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation pay homages to James Bond.True to form, this special DB5 will feature all the spy gadgets from the film.Production is currently underway, although it’s limited to just 25 examples.Well would ya look at this, Aston Martin is pulling a fast one with the DB5 Goldfinger! The storied British marque from Newport Pagnell has announced they are making a limited run of their ultra-famous DB5 model from the 1960s. Yes, that’s James Bond’s car. And yes, there’s a bit of a movie tie in, but still, how fab is this? The four-wheeled creation is officially known as the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation.

What Is The Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation?

The DB5 Goldfinger is the latest in the line of Aston Martin’s Continuation program, which started with the DB4 GT Zagato Continuation. It takes around 4,500 hours per car to finish the job. Each of the 25 new/old DB5 cars is built to the highest possible quality standards. Aston Martin blends old-world craftsmanship along with modern engineering and other performance advancements.

“Seeing the first customer car move painstakingly through the intricate production process we have created really is quite a thrill,” said Clive Wilson, Heritage Programme Manager, Aston Martin Lagonda. “Obviously we have not, as a business, made a new DB5 for more than 50 years, so to be involved in the building of these cars, which will go on to form part of Aston Martin’s history, is something I’m sure all of us will be telling our grandkids about!”

Over five decades after the last DB5 rolled off the production line, work is underway on a strictly limited run new DB5 models (although perhaps calling them New Old Stock is a better way to put it). Made with EON Productions, the producers of the James Bond films, this remake of the DB5 comes complete with the working spy gadgets first seen on screen in 1964.

More than half a century after the last DB5 left the Newport Pagnell factory, work is again underway on a limited series called the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation. Fewer than 900 saloon examples were built between 1963 and 1965, with the most famous “owner” being James Bond. Photo: Aston Martin Lagonda.License to Spill

And when I say all the spy gadgets, I mean all the spy gadgets: the rear smoke screen delivery system, the rear oil slick delivery system (simulated), and revolving number plates front and rear (three of them, just like JB had). More 007 gadgetry comes in the way of machine guns (simulated (duh)), bulletproof rear shield, battering rams front and rear, tire slasher (simulated), and an optional removable passenger seat roof panel.

The inside has a simulated radar screen tracker map, telephone, an under-seat hidden weapons/storage tray, and a remote control for gadget activation. “We are making, perhaps, some of the most desirable ‘toys’ ever built for 25 very lucky buyers worldwide,” added Paul Spires, President of Aston Martin Works.

All of the nifty gadgets were developed in association with Chris Corbould OBE, the special effects supervisor who has worked on more than a dozen Bond films.

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Engine & Vehicle Specs

All DB5 Goldfinger Continuation cars come in one exterior color: Silver Birch, just like the original. And like the 60s vintage originals, the aluminum exterior body panels are wrapped around an authentic DB5 mild steel chassis structure. Under the hood, er, bonnet, there’s a big 4.0-liter naturally aspirated inline six-cylinder with a single-plug head, three SU carburetors, and oil cooler. That’ll add up to 290 bhp.

The mill is mated to a five-speed ZF manual and limited-slip differential. Stopping is handled by old school servo-assisted hydraulic Girling-type steel disc brakes. Pointing and directing is the purview of an unassisted rack and pinion steering setup. The suspension is a coil-over spring design with an anti-roll bar at the front and a live rear axle with radius arms and Watt’s linkage out back.

Aston Martin says it’s the complete and dynamic package, to which I say, anyone who has manhandled a live rear axle with radius arms and Watt’s linkage knows just how “dynamic” things can get.

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation. Photo: Aston Martin Lagonda.Can You Get One?

Most are already spoken for, so if you want one of the 25, better jump in line now! It’s also worth noting the Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation is not street legal. And all of those cool gadgets are subject to final engineering confirmation and country-specific legislation.

First deliveries of the DB5 Goldfinger Continuation will start later this year with each continuation car priced around 3.4 million, plus taxes. Sheesh, why not just have Auric himself aim a laser at my crotch instead! “Do you expect me to talk? No! I expect you to pay, Mr. Borroz!”

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz.

Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation Gallery

Photos & Source: Aston Martin Lagonda.
Original article: Aston Martin DB5 Goldfinger Continuation: Even Q Would Be Impressed

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Buick Enspire Concept Debuts In China

Buick Enspire Concept Debuts In China The Buick Enspire all-electric concept SUV has made its global debut in China, billed as an exploration of the brand’s design ideas and innovative technologies for future mobility. With the Enspire name, Buick retains the general practice of using the letter “e” for their SUV nomenclature; Enclave, Envision, and Encore.
Power & Performance
Buick was slim on the details but the Enspire has advanced propulsion technology, allowing the concept to travel 370 miles on a single charge. The propulsion system, dubbed “eMotion” by Buick, generates a maximum power output of 410 kW and can launch the vehicle to 60 in four seconds. Buick says the Enspire supports both fast and wireless charging, and the battery can be charged to 80 percent within 40 minutes.
2018 Buick Enspire Concept. Photo: Buick.
Styling & Technology
The “surround skyline” interior theme is really of note. Buick says this is a suspended theater-type seating arrangement, meant to open up the cabin for occupants. There is an OLED screen, an augmented reality heads-up display system, and 5G connectivity.
Judging by the press photos, the interior is smooth and streamlined with most of the vehicle’s functions being controlled either by voice, gesture, or touch. Although Buick did not specify, the interior looks befitting of an autonomous vehicle.
Typical to most concepts, the body is aerodynamic and nicely sculpted.
The “surround skyline” interior theme for the Buick Enspire Concept. Photo: Buick.
Availability & In Person
Unfortunately, Buick did not reveal their long-range plans for the Enspire. Given Buick’s presence and following in China, it’s likely to see a release there first if anywhere. No word on if it will arrive in the United States or other nations. In the meantime, the Enspire Concept will be on display at Auto China 2018 in Beijing from April 25th until May 4th.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: Buick.

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