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Be iconic: Why Detroit performance brands have descended on Le Mans this weekend
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 14, 2025
Le Mans, France — If the Indy 500 is a showcase for driver glory, the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the premier race for manufacturer prowess. Win Indy, and its resulting fame will change a driver’s life forever. Win Le Mans, and an auto brand becomes legend.
Ferrari, Porsche, Audi and Ford have become international household performance names with their dominance of this 24-hour epic. No wonder, then, that the motorsports world was atwitter Thursday when General Motors Co.’s Cadillac swept the front row to claim pole position.
When the green flag drops at 4 p.m. Saturday local time (10 a.m. in Detroit), two Cadillacs — their Team JOTA liveries glistening in the French afternoon sun — will lead a packed international field of Ferrari, Porsche and Aston Martin to create an image seen around the globe.
The #12 Cadillac V-Series.R of Alex Lynn led a front-row lockout of qualifying alongside the sister #38 car at Le Mans on Thursday, June 12, 2025. Michele Scudiero, Cadillac
“Cadillac locking out the front row is an important thing,” said English driving ace Alex Lynn after putting his Cadillac V-Series.R on pole. “Only the most iconic brands have done that. Cadillac is the first American brand to take the pole since the legendary Ford GT40. We are in the shadows of greats. If we can win this race on Sunday we can cement our car as one of the icons.”
No wonder multiple Detroit brands are competing this year against the world’s best racing manufacturers in rural France before over 330,00 spectators and another 118 million watching around the world. Motorsports has been a key marketing, engineering and sales tool, but the advent of social media and the popular “Drive to Survive” Netflix series covering Formula One has taken motorsports to a new level by broadening its demographic appeal to a younger, gender-diverse audience that auto brands crave.
“’Drive to Survive’ changed everything. It’s making racing globally cool again, and the trickle-down effect we see from F1 is really big,” said Lynn. “We are riding that wave, and showcasing to young people that Cadillac is cool.”
The same electronics revolution that has transformed Hypercars into hybrid rocketships has also exposed youth to racing via simulators and online games where they can act out their fantasy to be, well, Alex Lynn.
“The consumer who is following racing these days is much younger,” said Vice President for Global Cadillac John Roth in an interview here. “They are EV-oriented, they are technologically curious and we put a lot of technology into our vehicles like the Lyriq-V that is the quickest Cadillac we’ve ever built in the marketplace. So there’s a lot of correlation between the V-Series race car and V-Series production car — customers may not attend a race, (but) it’s a great platform to elevate the brand.”
General Motors Co.’s Cadillac chief, John Roth, is using Europe’s most famous sportscar race to boost the Detroit brand’s entry into the rarified European luxury market — and Cadillac claiming the front row on the starting grid of 2025’s 24 Hours of Le Mans is a big step in the right direction. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Le Mans also attracts the world’s best drivers, like Lynn, who is not just a fast pilot, but a global brand ambassador in an industry that craves brand awareness and looks for ways to burnish it.
Dearborn-based Ford Motor Co. has been a global icon for some time. In the 1960s, the Ford GT40 dominated Le Mans for four years — two of them as a factory-backed team, two entered by a private team.
That put the Blue Oval badge on par with Ferrari (which it tried to buy at the time) and Porsche as legends of motorsport. Ford also partnered with England’s Cosworth to produce one of the Formula One series’ premier engines, the Ford-Cosworth, in the 1960s.
Ford’s decision to return to Le Mans prototype racing in 2027 (it announced its chassis partner, Italy’s Oreca, at Le Mans Friday) and Formula One in 2026 (again as an engine partner, this time with Red Bull) reaffirms that it belongs with the world’s best.
“Ford has a special history here. It’s the moment that Ford went global in 1966,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in an interview here. “This is a big commitment to us. There is no better advertisement for the capability of the company than winning a Le Mans, or it just says your company knows what they’re doing in the car business.”
Ford Motor Co. CEO Jim Farley at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans:” We want to sell race cars to customers worldwide.” A certified race-car driver, Farley drove in the new Mustang challenge on the historic 8.5-mile course. Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News
For both Ford and General Motors, the international World Endurance Championship and North American IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Series have provided a proper platform to justify the enormous dollar investment that motor racing requires. By agreeing to the same set of sports car rules across continents (and across races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 24 Hours of Daytona in Florida), IMSA/EC has opened a global stage for GM and Ford to sell GT race cars as rivals Porsche and Ferrari have done.
“We want to sell race cars to customers worldwide. I have made my career making bad decisions in motorsports,” said a smiling Farley as he overlooked the Ford Chicane on the Le Mans course. “And most of it was a marketing program to get someone interested in a brand. We needed to make motorsports a sustainable part of the company.”
Ford introduced the Mustang GT3 race car for the first time at Le Mans last year — just as it entered the same car in IMSA’s North American series. It made a big splash, placing third and fourth, and the factory team — run by Proton Racing — is back this year. Just like its Ford F-150 Raptor off-road entries in the Baja 1000 and King of the Hammers, the Mustangs are here to sell to customers.
“Racing is an indigenous sport for our industry — we don’t make shampoo,” said Farley. “There are a few events like Le Mans that really put you on the map. We want to sell more (F-150) Raptors and Tremors and Broncos, so we race the King of the Hammers, too.”
Chevy pioneered the GT3 effort back in 2000 with its Corvette entries, racking up nine Le Mans class wins over the last 25 years. It has now pivoted to a customer-based race model, and its three cars here this weekend are entered by customer teams TF Sport and AWA Racing.
As the racing and production programs became more integrated over that time, Chevrolet attracted more engineering talent. Roth points to Tony Roma, who has worked on both the Corvette and Cadillac production performance programs.
“Tony is a race car driver and a great example of translating that feel of what it is like to be behind the wheel of a high-performance Cadillac,” said Roth. Then he “translates that back to the vehicles that will sell to a new generation of buyers.”
The #51 Ferrari 499P Hypercar exits “Indianapolis” during Hyperpole qualifying and takes P3 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France on June 11, 2025. Ferrari has three entries in the Hypercar class of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News
That integration has carried over to Cadillac’s European expansion. Keely Busn is program manager for the Cadillac V-Series.R Hypercar and regularly advises, for example, Caddy’s Paris showroom.
“We introduced the livery for our Team JOTA race car in the Paris showroom, for example,” she said in Cadillac’s Le Mans pit. “We coordinated the motorsports display in the showroom that drives home the brand’s performance and precision. If you want to translate what it means to be at the pinnacle of motorsports, it’s good to have a dealership in Paris.”
The V-Series.R that took pole here has a distinctly American V-8 sound. But Roth said racing informs more than just powertrains.
The #12 Cadillac V‑Series.R Hypercar enters “Indianapolis” during Hyperpole qualifying and takes P1 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France on June 11, 2025. Cadillac has four entries in the Hypercar class of the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News
“Not only do we go out every day to compete with global luxury brands that we compete with in the retail space, we also get accelerated learnings on how vehicles perform. What’s the aero like? What’s the brake feel like?”
He continued: “That translates back to our EV vehicles that we sell in our retail environment. Aero gives an EV better range. Tires in an EV give better range. Racing is a great platform (that brings) learning back to what consumers enjoy in a vehicle.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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Payne: 1925 Chrysler Six vs. 2025 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 12, 2025
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Belle Isle — Happy 100th birthday, Chrysler, you’ve given us the gift of many memorable automobiles over the years.
Over a century not much — and yet everything — has changed.
As in 1925 with its Six (and sister Four) models, Chrysler today offers two 2025 vehicles for the U.S. market: the Pacifica and Voyager minivans. Following in the footsteps of its Six, Pacifica is an innovative family vehicle, bears a winged logo, rides on four air-tube tires and burns gasoline. Those fundamentals aside, a test drive of the two Chrysler icons reveals just how much autos have evolved after a century of innovation.
Speed
I tested the 2025 Pacifica plug-in Hybrid and the 1924 Six B-70 (the prototype for the ’25 production car) at the brand’s 100th birthday bash at the Detroit Yacht Club last week. I rode both at 35 mph around Belle Isle’s perimeter road (behind the wheel of the Pacifica; riding shotgun in the Six with an expert driver, Neal).
That’s slow by Pacifica standards, and just about right for the Six.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“You wouldn’t have wanted to go much faster than that on the roads they had back in the day,” laughed Chrysler historian Brandt Rosenbusch. No wonder the Six had a big, Jeep-like spare hanging out the back (the Pacifica comes standard with a tire repair kit). The Six wasn’t slow for its day. Indeed, its smooth, 3.3-liter inline-6 (thus the Six moniker. The Four was powered, natch, by a four-cylinder engine) was prized for its pace — so much so that Chrysler advertised its impressive-for-the-time 70 mph top speed with the B-70 badge.
Had that tradition continued, Chrysler’s fire-breathing, 173-mph, 435-horsepower, V8-powered 2005 sedan would have been called the B-173 instead of the 300C SRT8.
The Pacifica is a rocket ship compared to the Six B-70 with a top speed of 106 mph and a 0-60 mph dash of 7.3 seconds. Zero-to-60 mph in the Six?
“I don’t think anyone has ever asked that,” laughed Rosenbusch. “Probably a minute.”
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Operation
It takes a minute and several steps to start the Chrysler Six:
1) Depress the clutch pedal with your left foot.
2) Turn on the ignition to activate the six-volt battery.
3) Pull out the choke (if the engine is cold) to add fuel to the carburetor.
4) Push the starter button on the floor with your right foot.
5) If the Six struggles to fire, maintain pressure on the starter button with your right toes and goose the accelerator pedal (actually a button on the floor next to the starter button) with your right heel.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
VROOM! You’re ready to go. The 2025 Pacifica is as simple as pushing a dash button — its 12-volt battery turning over the starter motor.
Ah, how spoiled we’ve become. Remember clutch pedals?
Manual transmissions have largely been relegated (performance cars aside) to the ash heap of history. Since it first appeared as a three-row SUV from 2004-08 (evolving into a minivan in 2017), Pacifica has never been operated by a stick.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
But a three-speed manual is all you got in the ‘25 Six. Its steering wheel looks oddly modern with its center-mounted horn and what appear to be a pair of shift paddles hanging off the sides. They aren’t shift paddles, though. The right paddle acts as a sort of cruise control (“20 mph was a good speed,” smiled Rosenbusch). The left paddle? It was used to advance the spark plug timing if the engine ran rough.
As if mastering a stick wasn’t enough, drivers also had to adjust ignition timing.
Driver Neal expertly negotiated the H-pattern gearbox (REVERSE in the northwest corner) on our drive, but Pacifica’s nine-speed automatic was magical by comparison. And quiet. In fact, the hybrid could have made the trip around Belle Isle on electrons alone thanks to a 17-kWh battery (separate from the 12-volt) and electric motor that complements the 220-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6.
Combine the battery, a 16.5-gallon gas tank and impressive 30 mpg fuel economy for the 5,000 pound minivan, and the e-minivan can go 520 miles. The lightweight 3,000-pound Six is no slouch in the gas tank department. With a healthy 20-gallon tank under the rear seat, it gets about 200 miles of range with 10 mpg fuel economy.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
It would have been an exhausting 200 miles, though.
Comfort
While Pacifica sails along on a modern, unibody chassis connected to the road via coil-over springs, shocks and multi-link suspension, the Six rode on a ladder-frame (truck) chassis with leaf springs.
Worse, every coupe and sedan model was a convertible (Chrysler preferred the fashionable term “Phaeton”) thanks to stamping technology limitations that made hard tops a challenge. A convertible was swell on my 80-degree June test day, but Michigan winters were a challenge with open sides.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Owners could option canvas cockpit curtains — complete with glass portholes — anchored to the doors. But the fit was imprecise, said Rosenbusch, and cold air rushed in. “For long trips, some owners would heat up bricks and bring them into the cabin to stay warm,” he said.
The Pacifica’s stamping, by contrast, is state-of-the-art with a panoramic roof overhead. Chrysler would gradually solve the stamping issue, beginning with the 1934 Airflow sedan.
Wind noise and climate control aside, the Six cabin is a lot like your average modern SUV: command-view leather seats (ground clearance an SUV-like nine inches) and lots of front and rear legroom. No seat belts, though. That safety innovation wouldn’t come standard until the late 20th century.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Not that Six was oblivious to safety in the early years of the personal transportation revolution. The Chrysler was equipped with innovative hydraulic (not mechanical) drum brakes. Pacifica, of course, is a fortress with hydraulic disc brakes, auto emergency braking, air bags, seat belts and much more.
The minivan is a Swiss Army knife on wheels with second- and third-row seats that can stow in the floor, fold flat or be removed altogether. And Pacifica has 32-square-feet of cargo room behind the third-row seats.
The Six has … none.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Passengers 100 years ago would lash their luggage to the huge side running boards — or store it in the cabin with them for long trips (leaving room for the heated bricks, of course).
Jetsons car
What really separates Pacifica from its forefather — and even Chryslers 20 years ago — is its electronics. A Six owner would stare in wonder at the minivan’s futuristic digital tricks.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
– Twin seven-inch instrument and 10-inch infotainment displays
– Sirius XM radio
– Amazon Fire TV integrated into the rear-seat Uconnect Theater System so passengers can stream their favorite shows
– 360-degree surround view camera
– Automatic, hands-free park assist
– Adaptive cruise control
– Side mirrors with blind-spot assist
Yes, side mirrors — absent on the 1925 Six. We’ve come along way, baby.
1925 Chrysler Six
Vehicle type: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $1,595-$3,725 ($29,288-$68,400 in 2025 dollars; 1924 Chrysler Six prototype as tested)
Power plant: 3.3-liter inline-6 cylinder
Power: 68 horsepower
Transmission: Three-speed manual
Performance: 0-60 mph, 1 minute (estimate) top speed, 70 mph
Curb weight: 3,000 pounds (est.)
Fuel economy: 10 mpg; 200-mile range
Report card
Highs: Roomy interior; speedy for its time
Lows: Poor cabin insulation from the elements; busy starting procedure
2025 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, seven-passenger minivan
Price: $44,445 base, including $1,995 destination ($64,300 AWD Select model as tested)
Power plant: 3.6-liter V-6
Power: 287 horsepower
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 7.8 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 106 mph
Curb weight: 5,010 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA 82 MPGe; 500-mile range
Report card
Highs: Swiss Army knife interior; electronic controls/features
Lows: Minivan in an SUV world
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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Porsche 963 for the street: Penske to take delivery on road version of 200 mph race car
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 7, 2025
Bloomfield Hills-based Roger Penske will take delivery this summer on a street-focused version of the Daytona 24 Hour-winning Porsche 963, the race car that Team Penske and Porsche campaign in international Hypercar prototype racing, the fastest sportscar class in the world.
Modified at Porsche’s North American headquarters in Atlanta from a carbon-fiber chassis made at Porsche’s Zuffenhausen, Germany, racing production facility, the 200-mph-plus, hybrid Hypercar is a one-off — its powertrain and aerodynamics matching the race car, but upgraded with a luxurious leather and Alcantara interior complete with turn signals and a cupholder.
Porsche, Porsche
Badged the 963 RSP (in honor of Penske’s initials, Roger Searle Penske), it is effectively the fastest car ever made for the street. The 963 race car costs $2.9 million and Penske’s unique street cruiser is likely valued at much more.
In an interview, Penske said he had seen his new wheels being made at Porsche Classic, the brand’s Atlanta restoration facility: “It certainly looks and feels like a true Porsche sportscar. I am so honored that Porsche produced this special 963 RSP — I think I will always have a special connection to this vehicle, and certainly to everyone at Porsche.”
He said he looks forward to bringing the car to the Motor City as part of his family’s private car collection.
Roger Penske with a Porsche Hypercar after a Porsche Penske Motorsport press conference at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Le Mans, France on June 14, 2024. Penske is getting a a street-focused version of the Porsche 963 to add to his collection. Chris DuMond, Special To The Detroit News
“I’m not sure I would drive the 963 RSP as a daily commuter, though that certainly would be a fun drive to the office,” he smiled.
Penske is scheduled to take delivery stateside this summer at the Monterey Historics in California. Following its unveiling Friday, the 963 RSP will be on public display at Le Mans’ Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans before it returns to Stuttgart to be shown at the Porsche Museum. In July, the car will appear alongside the 917 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, before crossing the pond.
The Hypercar marks the second time Porsche has created a road version of its ultimate race car. The first was in 1975 when the German performance maker produced a street-legal Porsche 917 (which dominated international racing of that era) that was bought by Count Rossi, heir of the Martini & Rossi liquor fortune.
The eccentric Count then hit the road, driving from Zuffenhausen to Paris in the 580-horsepower, 12-cylinder 917.
In a brief street drive Friday near Le Mans, France, the 963 RSP debuted alongside that legendary 917 — just as the endurance racing world gathers for the week-long lead-up to the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, June 14-15.
Notably, the 963 race car competed on the downtown streets of Detroit May 31 as part of the Detroit Grand Prix. Hitting speeds of over 180-mph on Jefferson Avenue, the Porsche threw up sparks as it bottomed repeatedly down the bumpy, ¾-mile-long straightaway.
Richard Pardon, Porsche
“It’s banging the skid plate through there at nearly 200 mph,” said British race driver Nick Tandy, who co-piloted the #7 963 with Brazilian Felipe Nasr to fourth place in a thrilling race. “You can feel it coming up through the cabin. It’s rough.”
Together with Porsche, Team Penske is seeking to bring “The Captain” (as employees fondly refer to their chairman) his first Le Mans win, one of the few baubles that has eluded him in an illustrious racing career that includes 20 Indy 500 wins (Porsche has won almost as many Le Mans races — 19). It is the third Le Mans attempt by Porsche Penske — an event won by Ferrari the last two years.
“We have enjoyed a terrific relationship with Porsche dating back to 1972,” said Penske, recalling the dynamic duo’s first collaboration on the legendary 917/30 Can Am championship car. “With such a remarkable partnership continuing to this day, we felt it was time to create the most exciting car we could imagine.”
The Porsche 963 RSP is a street version of the 963 race car (shown) that competed in the May 31 Detroit GP. Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The 963 RSP will be on public display at Le Mans’ Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans before it returns to Stuttgart to be shown at the Porsche Museum. In July, the car will appear alongside the 917 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, before heading stateside.
Penske is scheduled to take delivery stateside this summer at the Monterey Historics in California and add the 963 RSP to his private collection of over 100 cars.
Managing director of Porsche Penske Motorsport, Jonathan Diuguid, has overseen the 963 racing program that competes in both North America’s IMSA Weathertech SportsCar Series here and the World Endurance Championship overseas. He said Penske his boss has been a big supporter of the 963 program from the start.
“He also got an opportunity to drive the Spyder (the Porsche RS Spyder, the last championship-winning sportscar on which Porsche-Penske collaborated from 2006-2008) at Goodwood a few years back,” said Diuguid. “So when the team planted the seed that there might be an opportunity for him to drive a 963, I think the flower started to grow.”
Richard Pardon, Porsche
The 963 won the IMSA series last year and has dominated so far in 2025, winning five of the first six races — including Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring. Porsche Penske is bringing three 963s to compete in next week’s Le Mans.
“Just like the 917, I wanted this car to be authentic to its origin and have as few changes to it as possible,” continued Penske. “When we got into the project, the differences in the two generations of race cars provided a great challenge. What emerged is a car that has lost none of its edge and is exciting whether on the track or on the road.”
While retaining most of the mid-engine race car’s dynamics – including the ferocious, 670-horspower, 4.6-liter, twin-turbo V-8 hybrid powertrain – the street car boasts significant changes to make it more comfortable.
Porsche, Porsche
The 963 RSP will not be started by a key to to the left of the steering wheel like Porsche production cars such as the 911 supercar and Macan SUV. That tradition started with left-hand-drive, 1960s Porsche race cars, which strategically located the key on the left so drivers could more quickly fire up the car upon entering the cabin in the pits.
Not only is the modern 963 RSP not started by a left-hand key, it is started from a laptop — just like the race car.
While 963 racers are wrapped in red-and-white trim, the 963 RSP is painted the same Martini Silver as its 917 forebear — a tricky process given the car’s thin, lightweight carbon fiber shell. The car has been lifted slightly — and its Multimatic spool-valve shocks softened — for a more compliant street drive. Tires? The same Michelin rain tires as the race car. Also missing from the 963 RSP are the race car’s fender cutouts — necessary on track to mitigate high-speed flips — but which take away from its aesthetic appearance on the road.
In a nod to tradition, an enamel Porsche badge is added to the nose, a detailed shared with the 1975 917.
Complete with headlight and taillight modifications to suit public roads — as well as turn signals, a horn, and front/rear license plates — the 963 RSP met permissions criteria from French authorities to ply public roads for its reveal today.
“An experience that will stay with me for a lifetime,” said Le Mans winner and Porsche racer Timo Bernhard, who was at the wheel of the 963 RSP for its first road miles. “Driving down a public road with a 917 beside me — it felt unreal. The car behaved perfectly — it felt a little friendlier and more forgiving than the normal 963 — and felt super special and a lot more comfortable, especially as I was not needing all my safety gear.”
Jordan Lenssen
The comfortable cockpit is a mix of luxurious appointments and raw race features.
Like the race car the 963 RSP features a single piece, air-conditioned carbon seat — but it is trimmed in leather with a fixed headrest mounted on the bulkhead behind the seat. The steering wheel — bristling with operating functions — is true to the racer but has been finished in leather. The aforementioned cupholder is 3D-printed and capable of holding a Porsche travel mug.
“This really started out as a ‘what if?’ — a passion project by a small team of enthusiasts at Penske and at Porsche who together imagined a version of the 963 that really resembled as closely as possible the spirit and appearance of the Count Rossi 917,” said Porsche Cars North America President and CEO Timo Resch, who conceived of the 963 RSP. “The 917 was every inch a race car — albeit one driven on the road — and we took the same approach with the 963 RSP.”
No word on whether Penske intends to cruise on Woodward this August.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Drag-racing the Chevy Blazer EV SS (SS for Super Stylish)
Posted by Talbot Payne on June 5, 2025
Oakland County — The last Chevy SS (Super Sport) I drove in 2016 was a stealthy muscle car. Modest looks, sedan shape, growling V-8 under the hood waiting to be unleashed on unsuspecting Bimmers. SS for Sneaky Sport.
The 2025 Chevy Blazer EV SS is not that car.
Wrapped in Habanero Orange with a black roof and sinister black fascia bracketed by orange wasp-like mandibles, you can see my Blazer SS from space. Big 22-inch wheels, big teardrop taillights, big black greenhouse, big 615 horsepower. But you can’t hear it.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
At a Telegraph Road stoplight, I flattened the accelerator pedal with my Size 15 shoes and the SS’s twin electric motors silently sucked the doors off a BMW M340i. FOOOOM! My eyes flattened, the landscape blurred, and 60 mph went by in less than four seconds. That would leave the ’16, 465-horse SS (0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds) in the dust as well, though it wouldn’t keep up with a Tesal Model S Plaid at 1.99 seconds.
My Blazer SS is, however, less than half the price of the $134,490 Tesla.
Chevy’s latest iteration of its Super Sport badge is a welcome addition to its diverse history. SS has adorned everything from the OG 1961, 408-cubic-inch, V8-powered Impala SS coupe to the 1969, double-dome-hooded El Camino SS to the lowered, fire-breathing 2003 Silverado SS pickup. With its super-sized straight-line speed (an SS badge record 3.4-second 0-60 mph), girth (a whopping 5,730 pounds thanks to a 102-kWh battery) and flamboyant wardrobe (hey, Chevy, how about a dual-stripe option?), this SS takes its place alongside other SS Dream Cruise rocket ships. This is an Impala SS for the electric age.
But addictive acceleration aside, what I like best about this SS is its interior integration of state-of-the-art GM technology with retro-Camaro SS design. SS for Super Styled.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Oh, how I miss the Camaro muscle car.
The porky, all-wheel-drive Blazer SS won’t remind you of the rear-wheel-drive Camaro’s deft handling, planted chassis and rib-rattling V-8. But it (along with the standard Blazer) honors the ‘Maro with one of the coolest interiors in this business.
Yuge grapefruit-shaped, aviator-style climate controls bracket the dash with three more anchoring the base of the console. They not only look awesome, but are easy to use (in keeping with GM’s best-in-biz cabin ergonomics). I climbed into the cabin with key in pocket, pressed the brake pedal and the SS came to life. I nudged the grapefruits back-and-forth to adjust air position, then adjusted the rim to turn it on or off.
Chevy marries this retro style with modern Google Built-in controlled digital screens. A head-up display complements the 11.0-inch instrument and 17.7-inch dash displays.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
“Adjust driver temperature to 70 degrees,” I barked on a chilly, rainy May evening, and the cabin temperature instantly adjusted.
A blizzard of other vocal and physical controls are at your fingertips. I’m particularly fond of the volume and radio station buttons located on the backside of the steering wheel so I could easily cycle through my Sirius XM radio favorites.
Even in the wet, Blazer SS was fun to drive thanks to its upgraded, stiffened suspension and sophisticated electronics. Combined with all-wheel drive, they kept the beast’s 650 pound-feet of torque (nearly 100 more than the last, 2024 Camaro SS V-8) in line as I barreled around the county.
Those electronics also enable non-performance features. Like when you don’t want to steer at all.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
On I-94, I set the speed to 75 mph, engaged Super Cruise and went hands-free to the airport, the Blazer SS navigating traffic beautifully — even moving automatically into the left-hand lane when slower traffic deterred my progress. SS is for Super Smooth.
I kept my hands on my knees, sipped my Grape Snapple and set Sirius XM stations using Chevy’s superb infotainment interface on the big (there’s that word again) infotainment display.
When I exited the freeway, Blazer SS handed the controls back to me and I eased into a stoplight without touching the brake — regenerative braking using the electric motors to bring the sled to a halt.
Afraid that you’ll miss the sound of an internal combustion engine? MY MODE allows you to select a growl (NORMAL or SPORT) to accompany its beastly acceleration. I preferred OFF, content with the silent hammer of the electric motors.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Those motors — and their battery fuel — come at a price. My Blazer SS tester tipped the scales at the same price as a Cadillac Lyriq EV I recently piloted that sits on the same Ultium platform. The Chevy plays in the same space as other mainstream electric hellions like the 601-horsepower Hyundai Ioniq 5 N and 576-horse Kia EV6 GT — but paying Caddy money for a Chevy could be a hard sell.
Blazer SS is also harder to refuel on trips north than, say, a BMW M340i.
Even if you manage to avoid tempting 0-60 launch control dashes, a 75-mph jaunt up I-75 will suck 25% of charger from the battery resulting in a real-world range of 225 miles instead of the EPA-approved 303. And that’s in modest, 70-degree weather. Chevy’s Google-based navigation system is good at navigating to chargers on the route (though the complicated, sliding charging door gives me the reliability willies), but expect a 250-mile trip to, say, Charlevoix to add two stops and a half hour to your travel. SS for Slow Stops.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The SS’s cargo and seating room, however, is easy on the legs — and luggage space — for extended trips. If most of your travel is local (say, over to the Woodward Dream Cruise and back this summer), then there are few cars that stand out — and explode out of stoplights — like the Chevy.
Super Sport. Give it an orange cape.
Next week: 2025 Nissan Murano and Titan
2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback
Price: $61,995, including $1,395 destination fee ($64,180 as tested)
Powerplant: 102 kWh lithium-ion battery with dual-electric-motor drive
Power: 615 horsepower, 650 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.4 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 120 mph
Weight: 5,730 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA range: 303 miles
Report card
Highs: Sporty, ergonomically superior interior; good ol’ SS acceleration
Lows: Pricey; your trip-mileage may vary
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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Payne: Flat out on Circuit of the Americas in the 1,064-horsepower Corvette ZR1
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 31, 2025
Circuit of the Americas, Texas — RAAAAAWWWWWWRGH! At 155 mph, the glorious sound of my 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1’s V-8 echoed off Circuit of the Americas’ pit straight grandstands before climbing 13 stories into the Formula One race track’s iconic Turn 1. At the 150-foot marker, I buried the left pedal, and massive brakes slowed my rocket ship to a crawl for the 90-degree hairpin — the automatic gearbox downshifting rapidly from 5th to 4th to 3rd to 2nd – WHAP! WHAP! WHAP!
At the turn’s 133-foot summit, the King of Corvettes seemed to pause, as if surveying its domain, before plunging down to Turn 2.
This is rare air.
With an astounding 1,064 horsepower, ZR1 is the most powerful ‘Vette ever and the latest member of an elite club of quadruple-digit-horsepower supercars. Down the slope through Turn 2, the ‘Vette’s acceleration was ballistic. With the V-8 howling behind my ears, I stormed towards the technical Turn 3-4-5-6 esses complex like a four-wheeled tsunami. Powerplant engineer Dustin Gardner says it “feels like you’re strapped to an aircraft carrier. You’re getting fired off in a jet plane.” I’ve never been launched off a carrier, but ZR1 feels like it must be close.
Credit the addition of the largest pair of turbochargers on the planet to the screaming, 5.5-liter, flat-plane crank engine out of the Corvette Z06/C8.R GT3 race car. But this is no stoplight drag queen.
At $174,995, King ZR1 goes toe-to-toe on the world’s greatest tracks (like COTA) with $1 million-plus cyborgs like the 1,063-horsepower, $2.7-million Mercedes-AMG One and 1,160-horse, $3.5 million Aston Martin Valkyrie.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
The ‘Vette’s secret sauce? The same mid-engine chassis that undergirds the standard, $70,195, Corvette C8 — the first ‘Vette in eight generations to move the engine from front to rear. Then Corvette engineers weaponized it.
This thing has more artillery hanging off it than an F-15 fighter jet.
Sticky 10.8-inch wide front/13.6-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires (Pilot Sport 4S standard). 15.6-inch carbon-ceramic brakes (the largest in Corvette history). Towering rear wing, dive planes and a wing-shaped front splitter for sucking the beast to the ground. Then there’s the LT7 engine — turbos wrapped around its sides like a pair of pythons.
The result is the ‘Vette changes direction through COTA’s esses like Cade Cunningham doing a dribble cut down the lane for a slam dunk. This dexterity of power and nimbleness enables inane performance (not unlike 6’6” guard Cunningham).
The ZR1, driven by its own engineers, has clobbered production-car lap records from coast to coast.
Road America, Wisconsin: 2.08.6 minutes. That’s seven seconds quicker than the Sports 2000 SCCA race class I compete in with 1,350-pound, bespoke race cars that weigh nearly a third less than the 3,950-pound ‘Vette (but ZR1 has seven times the horsepower).
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Watkins Glen, New York: 1:52.7 minutes
Virginia International Raceway: 1:47.7
Road Atlanta, Georgia: 1:22.8. To put that in perspective, Lead Development Engineer Chris Barber’s lap time was just shy of the fastest race lap of 1.22.1 recorded last October at the IMSA Weathertech Sportscar Series Petit Le Mans race by the 2,700-pound Corvette C8.R race car on racing slicks driven by pro factory drivers Alexander Sims and Antonio Garcia. I’m not making this up.
Want more numbers?
I hit 176 mph on the back straight at Circuit of the Americas. That is 40 mph faster than both my Lola S2000 racer and the standard, 495-horse ‘Vette Stingray.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
It’s 20 mph faster than the Corvette Z06 equipped with similar tires and 670-horsepower V-8 engine revving to 8,600 RPM.
At Road America, the ZR1 hit 188 mph on the front straight, faster than an IndyCar’s 185 mph. Lucky the ZR1 pace car pulled off after its pace laps at this year’s Indy 500 — or it might have won the race.
Yet, thanks to its 1,200 pounds of downforce, magnetic ride shocks, electronic limited slip differential (eLSD for short) and other performance toys, the ZR1’s ballistic power was surprisingly easy to drive fast around this high-speed F1 circuit. It’s predictable and well balanced, with linear acceleration courtesy of no discernible turbo lag.
Just respect the 828 pound-feet of torque.
Unlike my, ahem, Lola’s normally-aspirated 2.0-liter engine, the beast behind your ear in the ZR1 must be let loose progressively, not all at once (or be prepared for lurid slides).
Take it to a track day, and ZR1 won’t wear you out. Neither will it wear out — a key competitive advantage of Corvette’s development by one of the world’s best manufacturers.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
This is a point of pride to Porsche GT2 and GT3 owners as well. Those cars run like trains, which is why you find so many at race clubs. Porsche (and Corvette) put their cars through extensive, grueling 24-hour, high-speed durability tests. There’s nothing worse than buying your expensive, exotic dream car and taking it to the shop all the time.
After finishing a track day on America’s premier F1 circuit (or M1 Concourse in Pontiac), King Corvette is comfortable commuting home with the rest of the peasants.
The interior houses the same luxurious stitched leather and digital screens that you’ll find in the base Stingray. It’s a personal favorite (only to get better with a 2026 update) with its square steering wheel for better viewing of the instrument display, thoughtful ergonomics, and camera mirror to see out of the narrow greenhouse. Magnetic ride shocks come with a variety of drive modes for everything from track performance to comfort on the street.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
That’s a contrast to Porsche GT3 cars — my benchmark for the best handling supercars — but that come with compromises like harsh suspensions, stiff rides, uncomfortable sets. Corvette engineers call them “20-minute cars”: they’re supreme for 20 minutes on track, but drive them any longer than that on street and you’ll be black and blue.
Corvettes are big cars made for big folks. Like me. The rear hatch will swallow my big tennis bag — or your golf bag. Need more storage? There’s a frunk like a Porsche 911.
Purchase a ZR1 and you gotta track it. Allow me some suggestions: 1) Buy the coupe for better headroom (over the convertible); 2) set aside money for tires (Cup 2 Rs don’t last long channeling 1,064 horses); and 3) sign up for the Corvette Racing school in Pahrump, Nevada (free for ZR1 buyers).
Because you’ll never know the envelope of quadruple-digit horsepower until you’re at triple-digit speed on a racetrack.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Vehicle type: Mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, two-passenger supercar
Price: $174,995 base including $1,395 destination ($189,680 LT1 coupe and $200,180 convertible models with ZTK Package as tested)
Power plant: 5.5-liter, twin-turbo V-8
Power: 1,064 horsepower, 828 pound-feet of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 2.3 seconds (Car and Driver); top speed, 233 mph
Curb weight: 3,800 pounds (Coupe est.)
Fuel economy: EPA 12 mpg city/18 mpg highway/14 mpg combined
Report card
Highs: Ballistic acceleration; state-of-the-art interior
Lows: Will drink the Permian Basin oil field dry for a track day
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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Payne: Midwest-friendly Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT sports all-terrain tires, NACS charging
Posted by Talbot Payne on May 30, 2025
Franklin — With its raccoon-like black details, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT is instantly recognizable as a new, 2025 off-road trim for the brand’s electric hatchback. It sports a black mask, black wheels, black wheel arches etched with “digital camouflage” graphic, and black mirrors. XRT for Xtra Raccoon Trim.
But what Michiganians will really appreciate about the latest member of the I5 family is its Tesla-like NACS charging port and all-terrain tires.
“WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP WHUMP!” we went across 14 Mile’s pothole-pocked dirt road, one of many across Metro Detroit. These dirt roads are bad enough in summer but come spring they are really fraught after a harsh winter, particularly in premium vehicles with low-profile tires like the standard 19-inch-wheel Ioniq 5.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Residents along these roads are best served by rugged mules like pickups, Jeeps, Broncos and other off-roaders. For EV fans, the I5 XRT allows them to pair battery and brawn. Just choose the ALL-TERRAIN button on the steering wheel spoke to soften the ride. “WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP!” The high-profile Continental CrossContact ATR tires cushioned the blows as I weaved my way west …
… toward a Tesla Supercharger station.
Tesla, of course, has won the charging wars, defeating the industry-favored standard for bulky, five-prong CCS charging ports with its leaner, two-prong so-called North American Standard (NACS for short) plug. Combined with the Texas automaker’s ubiquitous reliable network of fast chargers, it has forced competitors to reluctantly succumb to consumer preference. NACS it is.
With customers screaming about fickle third-party DC chargers, EV makers have rushed to buy access to Tesla’s reliable network and Hyundai is one of the first automakers to — not just enable access to Superchargers for its clients — but also to equip their cars with NACS ports just like a Tesla.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Hyundai NACS has its hiccups, however. I was unable to connect to the 240-volt Tesla charger in my garage (I own a Model 3) because it was a 2018 NACS, which doesn’t sync with the Hyundai’s 2025 NACS plug. Something about software.
Neither could the Hyundai charge on my 240-volt, J1772 Juicebox garage charger that I use to charge non-Tesla EVs with CCS/J1772 ports. If this sounds complicated to folks used to simply stuffing a nozzle into a fuel filler, it is. And it is a reason EVs have proved to be niche vehicles in the U.S. market.
Stymied at home, I used I5’s native navigation system to locate the nearest Tesla Supercharger in Northville 12 miles away. I’d been before, the last time in June 2024 with a Ford Mustang Mach-E (Ford being the first automaker to gain access to Tesla’s network).
The Ioniq 5 was much easier to fill. And not just because it has a NACS port that the Tesla cable slipped into as easily as, well, a Tesla.
Hyundai also had the good sense to locate its NACS charging port on the rear corner of the vehicle like Tesla (right rear for I5, left rear for Tesla), meaning I simply backed the XRT up to the charger and connected the port. The Mach-E, like most EVs, locates its charging port behind the left front wheel, meaning I had to park the ‘Stang against the curb for the cord to reach. Combined with the bulky CCS/NACS adapter required for the Ford, it takes effort.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
You don’t need an adapter to charge the 2025 Hyundai, but you need a Tesla app. Download it. Add the Hyundai to its vehicle list. Then locate the Supercharger where you want to charge. Not all Tesla chargers are available to non-Tesla customers, but the Northville charger was, happily.
I plugged in, and my steed slurped electrons.
Northville is one of the busiest chargers in Metro Detroit, evidence that Tesla’s open-charger policy is catching on. Eight of the nine stalls were occupied on a Tuesday afternoon, with EVs including a Mustang Mach-E and Rivian R1S as well as the usual assortment of Tesla Cybertrucks, Model 3s, Ys and Ss.
Hyundai has upped the range on AWD models for 2025 to 290 miles (XRT clocks in at 259 with its all-terrain tires). That’s plenty for metro travel, but having the option of more chargers (like more gas stations for an internal combustion-vehicle) makes road trips less stressful.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
On a recent road trip to two-hours-from-anywhere — Sebring, Florida, for example — the only charging station in town was a Tesla Supercharger.
Hyundai, of course, does not have the cachet of the Tesla brand, and two friends recently opted to buy Model 3s as their first EVs. If you’re shelling out $50K for a car, brand matters.
But for those who want something different, my $56K XRT tester is a shockingly sophisticated (pun intended) EV. It’s roomy, utilitarian … and quick. (For $10K less, its I5 siblings begin at $46K and offer many of the same attributes.)
Merging onto I-696 on my way home, I dialed the steering wheel drive button (like a Porsche) to SPORT and buried my right foot. ZOT!
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
Acceleration is, well, bioniq. Car and Driver clocks its 0-60 mph sprint at 4 seconds. Settling into the drive, I told the Ioniq to detour to Popeyes for lunch, and directions quickly appeared on the big, hoodless 24.6-inch jumbotron in front of me.
Where Hyundai comes up short is in hands-free driving, where Tesla and General Motors lead the way. Set a destination on a Tesla and it will self-drive there. It’s a feature prized by my pals. A Caddy EV, too, will go hands-free on most divided highways. Not Ioniq 5.
Henry Payne, The Detroit News
My XRT’s adaptive cruise control system automatically changed lanes (like its EV competitors) when I tugged on the turn stalk — but otherwise required I keep a hand on the wheel. Worse, it nannied me constantly to watch the road even when my eyes had never left it. Sheesh, take a valium.
But that camera watching me suggests Hyundai plans over-the-air updates and Ioniq 5 should get more capable with time. High 5.
Next week: 2025 Nissan Murano and Titan
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback
Price: $44,075, including $1,495 destination fee ($56,875 XRT as tested)
Powerplant: 63 kWh or 84 kWh lithium-ion battery with single or dual-electric-motor drive
Power: 225 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque (RWD); 325 horsepower, 446 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver, AWD as tested); top speed, 115 mph
Weight: 4,707 pounds (XRT as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA range: 245-318 miles (259 miles, XRT as tested)
Report card
Highs: NACS charge port; Michigan-friendly XRT trim
Lows: Pricey; hands-free driving, please
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.
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