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American Speed Festival: Chaparrals, hot laps, $100K for Pontiac charity
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 12, 2021
Pontiac — Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Workers packed up Jim Hall’s legendary Chaparral race cars at M1 Concourse after headlining the inaugural American Speed Festival. The display of the pioneering race cars — the first to sport aerodynamic wings — was the first time the vehicles had been seen on track outside their Midland, Texas, museum home since 2005.
The Chaparrals led the fourth major public auto event at the private race club facility in two months as the COVID pandemic has shifted the epicenter of Metro Detroit auto events to Oakland County.
The American Speed Festival, touting a “celebration of speed past, present and future,” played host from Oct. 1-3 to more than 100 cars covering 120 years of race history. Taking laps around the 1.5-mile Champion Motor Speedway was everything from the 1901 Sweepstakes car that Henry Ford piloted to Grosse Pointe glory to a 1973 1,100-horsepower Porsche 917/30 Can-Am car.
Other highlights included the 1952 Hudson Hornet (financed by the Detroit department store of that name) that dominated NASCAR in the 1950s and a state-of-the-art 2020 Ferrari 488 GT racer. Both were among the 11 winners for best in show.
The show-stopper was Hall’s high-wing Chaparral 2E, which pioneered aerodynamic tech in the mid-1960s CanAm series. Today, wings are an essential aerodynamic feature on everything from IndyCars to IMSA sports racers.
“Chaparral is going to be a tough act to follow. To see that kind of racing history on track was such a unique opportunity for the fans that won’t be soon forgotten,” smiled Tim McGrane, CEO of M1 Concourse, a transplanted Brit who previously ran Laguna Seca Raceway in California.
He has overseen the facility as it played host, since August, to Roadkill Nights, Woodward Dream Show, Motor Bella and the Speed Festival.
“We’re very pleased with the success of our inaugural Speed Festival weekend,” McGrane continued. “Although weather hampered us a bit Sunday, we had a tremendous three days of on-track time trials.”
The Festival also played host to a sold-out Checkered Flag Ball charity event supporting M1 Mobility. The event raised more than $100,000 to assist with the needs of transportation-challenged Pontiac residents.
Hall was also honored at the ball as ASF’s first Master of Motorsports for a career that is compared with that of Lotus’s Colin Chapman for racing innovation. Hall, 86, accepted the award in a live feed from Motorsports Hall of Famer David Hobbs. The weekend was livestreamed globally by Speedsport TV.
Category winners as voted upon by ASF attendees and officials were:
Best Can Am Car — 1966 Chaparral 2E (Jim Hall, owner)
Best Indy Car — 1972 Parnelli VPJ-1 (Chuck Jones)
Best Endurance Car — 1959 Maserati Tipo 61 (Team Stradale)
Best Featured Car — 1992 Jordan 192 Formula One (RM Motorsports)
Best Stock Car — Kyle Petty #42 NASCAR Pontiac (Michael Haislet)
Best Super Car — 2020 Ferrari 488 Challenge EVO (Bob Hertzberg)
Best European Performance Car — 1967 Maserati Ghibli (Larry Smith)
Best American Performance Car — 1952 Corvette Duntov Mule (Ken Lingenfelter)
Best Import — 2008 Subaru WRX STI (Michael Aumick)
Selection Committee Award — 1952 Fabulous Hudson Hornet (Al Shultz)
M1 Concourse Award — 1901 Sweepstakes Race Car (The Henry Ford)
The American Speed Festival will return Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2022, featuring the Shelby race cars in honor of the 60th anniversary of Shelby American.
Payne: Ford completes a radical remake for the Age of Ute
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 12, 2021
Nashville — Ford has made national headlines with billion-dollar battery investments in Tennessee and Kentucky as it explores future electric-vehicle markets. But the news has overshadowed a remarkably fast transformation of the Blue Oval brand from a car-and-truck maker to an SUV-and-truck maker.
With the Ford Maverick, Ford’s entry-level vehicle is now an SUV-based pickup truck — not a Focus or Fusion sedan. Indeed, a brand that just a generation ago made the country’s best-selling Taurus sedan doesn’t have a single four-door car in its lineup.
The Maverick headlines an appealing, gas-powered compact SUV lineup — Maverick/Bronco Sport/Escape — that is one of the most innovative in the industry’s highest volume, non-pickup segment.
“As we exit sedans, it’s an opportunity to bring value/affordability into the marketplace,” said Todd Eckert, marketing chief for Ford trucks, of the SUV triplets at the Maverick’s media test in Nashville. “At an entry price-point, (they) give customers a choice. We have options: traditional SUV with the Escape. Bronco Sport for a more rugged off-road environment. And with Maverick, the opportunity to combine affordability and the flexibility of a pickup box.”
Ford is making this value appeal with a shrewd strategy that leverages iconic sub-brands far beyond their traditional niches: Bronco, pickup trucks and Mustang sports car. The latter brand has been expanded far beyond its traditional muscle car segment to introduce a Tesla Model Y-fighting electric SUV.
“They have figured out how to marry these sub-brands to a wider consumer for the 21st century,” said ISeeCars.com executive auto analyst Karl Brauer. “If you take an SUV and give them added capability, then you can appeal to customers who aren’t traditional Ford buyers.”
Buyers like Jeremy Ingram, 47, of Oakland Township. Ingram has bought both a Bronco and a Maverick, despite having never owned Fords in those vehicle segments before.
Ingram buys vehicles for fun. He and his wife sold their Roxor side-by-side off-roader and convertible VW Bug in order to buy the Bronco.
“I’ve been looking forward to this vehicle for a long time,” smiled the off-road fan, who has helped build the Holly Oaks ORV park. Ingram had resisted buying a Jeep Wrangler — long the king of the dirt — due to its cramped interior and rough on-road ride. The rugged Bronco is in his sweet spot with a roomier interior and smoother-riding, independent front suspension.
He has a Maverick on order as his daily driver for its maneuverability and 500-mile hybrid range — while still providing the bed utility he got with a big, thirsty F-150. If his Maverick works out, he plans to buy others for his contractor business. “I like the fuel economy, it keeps costs down,” he said.
For customers like Ingram, Maverick has instant credibility despite its smaller size due to brand cred Ford has earned over 40 years as America’s best-selling truck-maker.
“This is a breakthrough for us and the industry. We feel like it extends the Built Ford Tough lineup,” said Ford’s Eckert. “We’ve been watching customers in terms of affordability and maneuverability. Maverick is the first standard hybrid in a pickup. Forty mpg, 500 miles of range — giving a 1-2 punch of maneuverability and efficiency.”
It’s hard to understate the dramatic shift in the U.S. auto market in the last decade. In 2010, sedans made up 51% of non-pickup truck sales as the country flirted with $4-a-gallon gasoline and buyers cut back during the Great Recession. Today, SUVs make up more than 70% of such sales.
As recently as 1992, the Ford Taurus sedan was the best-selling car in America with more than 410,000 units. Today the Taurus (and its Fusion stablemate) have disappeared and the Toyota RAV4 SUV is the non-pickup sales king at more than 400,000 units.
Credit the fracking revolution and cheap gas as far as the eye can see — and car-like chassis designs that make, say, a unibody Ford Explorer SUV ride like a magic carpet compared with its truck-based ancestors.
“After a couple of decades making money-making SUVs and money-losing sedans, automakers figured out how to make SUVs drive more like cars,” said Brauer. “The Maverick is a truck that, in reality, is an SUV that feels as car-like as possible.”
The Maverick is built on the same compact unibody skeleton as the Escape and Bronco Sport. Ford says its future is electric, but for now customers want more affordable petrol power. The 2021 Bronco Sport is outselling the 2021 Mach-E by a ratio of 6-1.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was first to recognize the SUV revolution. The Stellantis predecessor ditched sedans and leveraged the iconic Jeep name to lead its own brand reinvention — the Wrangler SUV leading a Jeep sales parade that exploded from 231,701 units in 2009 to 923,291 in 2019.
Ford dusted off its own Bronco off-road icon and followed the Jeep model.
“Ford learned from Jeep,” said Brauer. “The unibody Grand Cherokee was the first no-compromise SUV with on-and-off-road capability. Ford is doing that with the unibody Bronco Sport that brings durability, capability — and looks cool.”
The Ford and FCA strategy makes an interesting contrast to that of cross-Motown rival General Motors.
The General has leveraged powerful luxury brands Hummer and Cadillac to compete against luxury automakers like Tesla and Audi in the $60,000-plus EV space. In so doing, the Detroit automaker aims to prove the efficacy of all-electric platforms for more mainstream EVs like the Chevy Bolt EUV.
GM, once a pioneer in hybrids, has abandoned the technology. But like Japan’s Toyota, Ford and Jeep have embraced it as a more affordable, fuel-efficient tech for mainstream buyers.
The Maverick (which shares its hybrid drivetrain with the pricier Escape) is the cheapest hybrid sold in the U.S. market — starting at an eye-opening $21,490.
“I’m disappointed in GM. They were ahead of their time with plug-in hybrids,” said Brauer. “But they walked away from them in order to pursue pure EVs. Toyota has stuck with hybrids and that is where the consumer seems to be.”
GM has receive rave media and environmentalist reviews for its zero-emissions strategy while Toyota has been widely shamed. But Ford and Jeep are following Toyota’s path with, respectively, the Escape Hybrid Sport and Wrangler 4xe Plugin Hybrid in high-volume, mainstream segments.
For the pure EV space, Ford is competing in the $40k-plus bracket against the Chevy Bolt by leveraging its sexy Mustang and F-150 sub-brands to make the Mach-E SUV and Lightning pickup EVs.
One hundred years after the tall Model T led a transportation transformation, Ford is betting the farm that its high-riding Bronco/F-150/Mustang brands can win SUV and electrification revolutions.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne, first drive: Mach-E GT flexes good ol’ Mustang muscle
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 12, 2021
San Francisco — Hustling over California’s twisted two-lane Pacific Coast Highway in a Mustang GT, I suddenly came upon a three-car moving road block. I flattened the right pedal. ZOT! The GT gulped the trio like a killer whale feeding on fish.
No downshift, no V-8 roar, no rear tail wag.
Say hello (and a quick wave goodbye as it disappears into the distance) to a different kind of Mustang GT — the 2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT. A kilowatt-guzzling hatchback SUV. Infused with the same wicked DNA as its gas-guzzling V-8-powered Fastback forebear, it’s even dressed in bright Cyber Orange to match Papa Pony’s Grabber Yellow.
This is the one we’ve been waiting for.
Ford Motor Co.’s Blue Oval has been chasing Tesla since the Palo Alto-based automaker wowed the world in 2016 with the Model 3 and changed the electric game with an accessible, lightning quick, Apple phone-simple EV that made even gas-drinking motorheads like me go weak in the knees (I bought one).
Ford dropped what it was doing and gave chase. Maybe it was enraged Tesla had stolen its iconic “Model” moniker to stake its claim as the Model T of the 21st century. Maybe it admired a startup for cracking the battery-electric code after Ford floundered with the C-Max and first-gen Escape Hybrid. Maybe both.
But Ford understood it would have to bring out its big brand guns to compete with Tesla’s mega-brand. The Mustang Mach-E was born and it slavishly followed the Tesla Model Y (a Model 3 in ute clothing) formula: 15-inch center screen, frunk, 300-mile range, remote app, $40K starting price.
When I got my hands on the new pony, I saddled it up alongside a Model Y and tested them toe-to-hoof. The Mach-E is very good — yet doomed to live in Tesla’s shadow. The apprentice to the OG. Mach-E sales are a modest 2,000 a month — outsold by Model Y, 6-to-1.
Mach-E GT is a different animal. Bringing years of muscle car experience to the compact SUV, veteran engineer Dave Pericak and his merry elves have layered Mach-E with Mustang muscle. Think 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds — equivalent to a Hellcat-fired $100K Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.
Like the V-8-powered Mustang Fastback, Mach-E gets a steroid booster over its standard 346-horse, 428-torque sibling. Optimizing the same 88 kWh battery pack, the GT pumps out a Mercedes AMG 63-like 480 horsepower and a gob-smacking 634-pound-feet of torque when equipped as the Performance Edition. That’s right, a performance package just like the sports car offers: gummy Pirelli summer tires; active suspension; Brembo brakes.
Out of a hairpin turn on Route 1, I nailed the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance (that’s a lotta names) and the beast pounced. I have driven these roads in a Mustang V-8 Fastback, but there is nothing like the ON/OFF electric torque switch of a big-battery EV. The Pirellis gripped like claws. The electric motor whined. The sky blurred like Han Solo’s Millennium Falcon jumping to hyperspace. Chewie, set course for the next galaxy.
Another hairpin rushed into view and big 15-inch front Brembos brought me back to earth. The battery-powered Mach-E GT is porky at 4,962 pounds (500 more than Tesla), but it’s low in the belly. With no V-8 anchor up front, the beast rotated nicely, the magnetic suspension working hard — in part to compensate for 2-inch narrower tires than a Merc AMG (EVs gotta balance stick with range-sucking rolling resistance).
To harness its nearly 2 ½ tons, the Performance Edition is stiffly sprung. Less enthusiastic drivers will prefer the standard GT.
The Model Y has similar thrust — 0-60 in 3.6 seconds — but is less intuitive in the corners compared to the crisp Mustang. GT debuts a Traction Control OFF button so you can hang it out more.
In max Unbridled mode the ’Stang pipes a satisfying GRRRRRRR-owling noise into the cabin. It’s not the GT Fastback’s reptilian gurgle, but it’s a bit of Mustang soul. So athletic-minded is the SUV that it’s lower to the ground (5.1 inches vs. 5.8) than the GT Fastback.
I know, I know what you’re thinking. If Ford wanted to expand the Mustang sub-brand, why didn’t they follow Porsche and just make a meaty, more practical V-8-powered ute? That would have been glorious. Mustang should have done it five years ago like (aping Porsche) Jaguar, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and other sports car brands.
But that was then, this is now and EVs are the fashion (not to mention forced by governments). Even Macan is going electric, so rather than chase the tail, Mustang jumped the queue with the first performance SUV to run with Tesla.
It’s a niche segment of two for now. Model Y Performance and Mach-E Performance are right on top of each other at about $62K. A lot of coin.
Who will buy it? My motorhead pal Jim and spouse crave the Mach-E, and the GT badge is right in their wheelhouse — a daily driver next to an Audi RS5 hatchback and Ford truck.
Mach-E GT would naturally replace their BMW X3 M. Heck, the ’Stang beats the Bimmer to 60 mph by a half-second — for 10 grand less. It looks the part, too, with GT gaining a menacing black grille compared to the awkward traced mouth on the standard Mach-E. It says “GET OUTTA THE WAY” in a slower car’s mirror.
Where Mach-E GT falls short of the BMW — and Tesla — is on road trips. One reason why the feds take pity with a $7,500 tax credit.
With a claimed 260 miles of range (I, ahem, got just 60% of that while flogging the pony over northern California), Mach-E GT requires long recharging stops from an unreliable third-party charging network. Bimmer can whet its beak with petrol everywhere. Tesla’s reliable charger network is the brand’s secret sauce.
Tesla also brings its signature Autopilot system. Though Mach-E GT’s similar Blue Cruise system allows truly hands-free driving (a camera watched me to make sure I was paying attention), I found it less confident at lane-centering over California’s swoopy 101 four-lane. The Tesla (which asks that you keep a hand near the wheel) is remarkably precise — while offering cutting-edge tech like Navigate-on-Autopilot and auto-lane change.
It’s hard to compete with Silicon Valley’s iPhone on wheels. So Mach-E gets your attention the ol’ fashioned way — muscle car speed ‘n’ style.
The blank-face Tesla looks alien. Mach-E’s anthropomorphic fascia, muscled shoulders and fastback are as familiar as the screaming V-8 GT you coveted when you were 16.
And when you stealthily leave everyone behind at a Woodward stoplight, it won’t wake up every officer within a 10-mile radius.
2022 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, all-wheel-drive, four-door SUV
Price: $60,100, including $1,100 destination charge ($63,285 GT and $69,800 GT Performance Edition as tested)
Powerplant: 68-88-kWh lithium-ion battery driving single or twin electric motors
Power: 480 horsepower, 600 pound-feet of torque (GT); 480 horsepower, 634 pound-feet of torque (GT Performance)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 3.8 seconds (GT, mfr.); 3.5 seconds (GT Performance); top speed, 124 mph
Weight: GT: 4,962 pounds (4,989 pounds, GT Performance Pack)
Fuel economy: EPA est. range, 270 miles (GT); 260 miles (GT Performance)
Report card
Highs: Ruthless acceleration; confident handling
Lows: Needs more interior definition; Performance model may jar a filling loose
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Riding the last VW Golf into the sunset
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 11, 2021
Gaylord — Farewell, Volkswagen Golf, I’ll miss you.
Well, kind of. I mean, the GTI hot hatch is my favorite Golf model and that’s not going away. But the standard Golf is, and without that … well, there wouldn’t have been a GTI or all-wheel-drive Golf R, now would there? Or even a New Beetle built on the same platform, which VW doesn’t make any more either. So, my last 500-mile dance with the Golf through northern Michigan was bittersweet. Except I can’t wait to drive the new Golf GTI later this year.
Confused? You’re not alone. You need a scorecard to keep track of all the VW model changes these days.
Volkswagen’s lineup is dramatically different than when the Golf debuted (as a Rabbit, just to confuse you more) way back in 1974. Since then, it has become the best-selling V-dub ever. It even surpassed the iconic Beetle globally: 30 million units to 23.5 million for the Bug.
In the ’70s, Golf sold alongside the Beetle, Scirocco and Passat (Dasher in the U.S.). None of those badges exist today, save for Passat, which will bow out in the U.S. after the 2022 model year. Synonymous with the brand, Golf has grown out of touch with the mainstream, SUV-crazed U.S. consumer. Golf is gone, long live the Golf.
In my ride north in the 2021 tester, the clever hatchback reminded why its DNA carries on across the lineup.
The styling is timeless. Simple and sophisticated, it has changed little over the years — the most dramatic change being the big, swept headlights versus the round, owlish eyes of the early days. With its sharp body stampings and thin grille, my Golf was easy on the eyes.
That styling informs Golf siblings — a model line chock full of SUVs that no one dreamed of back in the ’70s: Taos, Tiguan, Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport.
Indeed, Golf’s practical hatchback is the inspiration for today’s sport ute. Leaving my house in Oakland County, I simply lifted Golf’s hatch (tugging the rear VW logo like a piece of furniture that opens a secret bookcase) and stuffed my weekend luggage inside: bag, tennis bag, shoes. If I needed more room, I could simply have pushed over the backseats to create a longer load floor. Just like an SUV.
Exiting I-75 at Gaylord, I got sucked into the twisties of M-32 — flowing west fast like a river emptying into Lake Michigan. My Golf was in its element here — the tight chassis, suspension and four-wheel disc brakes working together to make the car wonderfully tossable. It has ever been such.
So wonderful that Golf inspired a new segment of performance compacts with its 1984 GTI. The Honda Civic Si, Ford Focus ST, Mazdaspeed 3, Hyundai Elantra N, et al have followed in its footsteps. I owned the first generation GTI. My 29-year-old son owns the sixth. The eighth-gen coming later this year promises to be the best yet.
With unique wheels and blood red trim, the GTI’s exterior hints at the steroid enhancements beneath: a 2.0-liter turbo 4 making 220 horsepower and a gob-smacking 310 pound feet of torque. With a limited slip diff up front, the GTI rotates like a rear-wheel driver at the autocross course.
My standard Golf tester sported the standard 147 horse turbo-4, which is surprisingly peppy despite its smaller 1.4-liter displacement. The GTI will live on as inspiration to the rest of the VW lineup — like the Miata spirit that inhabits every Mazda SUV.
Take the new VW ID.4 electric car. With its 77-kWh battery stowed below decks, the new SUV has a lower center of gravity than most SUVs and wants to boogie. The battery may be heavy, but ID.4 channels the Golf’s excellent dynamics. On a recent test drive in the Tennessee mountains, I put ID.4 in SPORT mode and flogged it like a Golf through the twisties.
Inside, my 2021 Golf was simple, with lots of right angles like the exterior. It’s a style that continues across the lineup — from the compact Taos SUV to the giant three-row Atlas.
But technology was notably lacking in my V-dub. Its competition (Civic, Elantra, Impreza, Mazda 3) have upgraded to all-digital instrument displays, adaptive cruise control and head-up displays. Rather than invest in a declining segment, VW is bringing that tech instead to the compact Taos SUV (as well as the more premium GTI and Golf R). Taos is already killing it, selling 7,000 units a month.
Golf stacks up nicely against its competition in interior size and utility. Its 35.7 inches of rear leg room match the Civic and Elantra. It even tried to offer all-wheel drive with the 2018 Alltrack wagon to appeal to SUV buyers.
But Alltrack was pricey compared to, say, the AWD Subaru Impreza and never got traction. Indeed, my wife tried both and chose the ’Ru. Maybe it was the Subaru Love. Maybe it was the $2,000 cheaper price tag. Maybe it was the Golf’s **%!!& lack of a mute knob so that you have to turn the volume knob all the way down every time you want to silence the screen.
It’s a rare hiccup in VW’s otherwise nicely appointed interior.
That tradition continues in the SUVs. Different as the ID.4 interior is (think screen-focused Tesla-simple), it continues the Golf tradition of offering intuitive controls for everyday driving. The ID.4’s liquid-smooth electric drivetrain also seems the perfect sequel to my Golf’s smooth automatic tranny. No droning continuously-variable tranny here. The eight-speed is one of the segment’s smoothest — never getting a step wrong during my long journey. A manual is also available, though I’d leave that to GTI motorheads.
Even as it opened manufacturing plants in my West Virginia and Pennsylvania backyards in the 1970s, VW was slow to learn Americans’ driving habits. Wolfsburg was tardy to the SUV market, and then offered too-small segment entries.
It’s determined not to make that mistake again, so it’s ditching Golf for the hatchback Taos SUV. On my way back from Up North, my wife packed the Golf to the roof with goodies. Taos will hold even more. If you still want a compact car, VW offers the Jetta sedan.
And if you still want a Golf, there’s the 2022 GTI. I can’t wait.
2021 Volkswagen Golf
Vehicle type: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback car
Price: $24,190, including $995 destination fee ($24,990 as tested)
Powerplant: 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Power: 147 horsepower, 184 pound-feet of torque
Transmissions: eight-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph (7.6 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 122 mph
Weight: 3,012 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 29 mpg city/36 highway/32 combined
Report card
Highs: Sharp looks; fun-to-drive
Lows: Dated screens; no mute button
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Affordable Ford Maverick pickup is a 40 mpg Swiss Army knife
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 5, 2021
Nashville, Tenn. — We auto journalists love to prattle on about how capable the ripped Ford F-150 Raptor supertruck is with its terrain-chewing tires, high-tech Fox shocks and powerful, twin-turbo V-6. But at $70K, the Raptor tool can only be afforded by a few.
Everyone else is left coveting the stud with their noses pressed against the window.
Until now. For a Ford Truck Nation that has always dreamed of an affordable Swiss Army knife, your ship has come in. The entry-level Maverick pickup is here and it is really, really good.
Yes, the base $21,490 Maverick XL. You want a truck with 500 miles of range? 191 horsepower? A hybrid drivetrain, Google maps smartphone connectivity, and more storage options than the Queen Mary? Write your check for $21,490.
This stud doesn’t require two parking spaces to park. Downtown Nashville is overrun these days with music acts, IndyCar races, tourists. Want to park an F-150 in the cramped parking lot of Carter Vintage Guitars on 8th Avenue? Ain’t happening, ya’ll.
With Maverick, it’s a cinch. Exit downtown and load 1,000 pounds of mulch and rock from Home Depot for your home lawn project.
Pickup capability used to mean you had to ride a rough ladder-frame chassis or pay big bucks for magnetic shocks to smooth things out. Maverick, on the other hand, is a joy to drive. Fast. With mulch loaded behind me, I drove Mav hard like it was a unibody, compact SUV.
That’s because it is a unibody, compact SUV.
Maverick is now the entry-level vehicle for Ford’s lineup. Not just the truck lineup, the entire vehicle lineup. If you’re thinking Maverick sounds like an Escape or a Bronco Sport with a bed, it is. The Mav’s secret sauce is it brings truck capability to the market’s biggest volume class, compact SUVs.
As I drove the baby F-series, I realized it wasn’t so much a truck as a bed option in a segment my wife and I have occupied all our lives. Me in VW Golfs and Honda Civics. My wife in her beloved $28K Subaru Impreza with all-wheel drive, adaptive cruise, sippy fuel economy and park-anywhere maneuverability.
Maverick checks the same boxes for the same price. Substitute bed for hatch. The pickup completes the trifecta of three compact SUVs — Escape, Bronco Sport and Maverick — built on the same chassis but with three distinct personalities.
For that reason alone, the new littlest Ford (India-made Ecosport has been axed) deserves its rebel name. Maverick demonstrates the transformation of a 20th-century car company to a 21st-century truck ‘n’ SUV company. Want a Focus or Fiesta hatchback? Move to Europe.
For all its segment-busting swagger, the Maverick is conservatively styled. This is no Hyundai Santa Cruz — the other unibody pickup introduced this year and Hyundai’s first pickup — which screams for attention with its angular bod, sliding tonneau cover, and sub-bed trunk.
Maverick is part of a larger truck family. The brand knows it has market cred — Mav takes design cues from big brother F-150 with its C-clamp grille and squared-off bed design. There’s no sub-bed to carry coolers (Ford says it compromises the steel box’s strength), no sliding bed covers (Ford says it compromises bed width), no angular c-pillar (compromises access). Hyundai dares to question the ol’ formula.
Maverick saves its innovation for under the skin. This is no plasticky Ranger — which felt rushed when Ford realized it was late to the midsize truck party in 2018.
Maverick’s interior has the confidence of a segment buster — tastefully done with clever use of materials (recycled carbon fiber dust here, orange/bronze trim pieces for XLT/Lariat trims there). Doors are scalloped for oversized bottle storage — the handles floating in space. Take a bow, interior design team.
Accessories are numerous. My favorite? A $50 five-pack of interchangeable gadgets for the rear seat console: trash bin, cupholder, cord wrap, grocery bag holder, sub-seat organizer.
The sub-seat organizer provides ample storage space under the rear bench seats — an inherent benefit of unibody construction. Bronco Sport sports similar space, but Maverick goes even deeper. Store footballs, muddy cleats, bottles — not to mention the rest of the accessory five-pack.
Though just 4.5 feet long by 4 feet wide (the same as, ahem, a $70,000 Rivian EV), the pickup’s rear bed can store a bicycle — or two if you take the front wheels off. Like competitors, Ford knows customers (especially younger buyers in this segment) expect their vehicles to talk with their phones. Mav depends on your smartphone for its navigation — and sticks a QR code on the rear bed so you can access a variety of online Ford help videos to configure lights, bike rack, etc.
Hyundai knows the bed is key, too, and its sliding tonneau cover, sub-bed storage and soft-drop tailgate will challenge Maverick.
Santa Cruz will also create buzz with its greater towing capacity, standard wireless smartphone connectivity/blind spot-assist and premium interior (including a hoodless, LED instrument display that is one of my favorite new 2021 items) when pitted against the Maverick’s XLT and Lariat trims for a comparable $25,000 (where Maverick gains all-wheel-drive with a more powerful, 250-horse 2.0-liter turbo-4).
But that base $21,490 Maverick XL bargain stands alone.
That’s a whopping four grand below the Hyundai, a real number for entry-level buyers. Not long ago, I asked a Golf engineer why V-dub didn’t hybrid-ize its compact hatch for superior fuel economy. His answer: battery cost made compact-class hybrids unrealistic.
Cue Ford, which has managed a rockin’, 191-horsepower hybrid with 40 mpg city — in a $22K compact pickup. Chew on that for a moment. This is an accomplishment right there with racing a Raptor across sand dunes at 100 mph. And it’s something you’ll appreciate every day.
With a Maverick dressed in Area 51 Blue and steely wheels, I strutted around the Music City in style. I parked in front of Nashville’s Dolly Parton street mural, the queen of country smiling down on my ride.
A huge, full-size Toyota Tundra parked (very carefully) nearby. “Cool color,” the owner commented, looking over my Mav. When I told her the price, her jaw dropped.
My Ford truck buddies covet a big, bad F-150. My wife loves her compact hatch. I get it. But for those who want the two combined, Ford has worked a miracle: an affordable truck with personality.
2022 Ford Maverick
Vehicle type: Front engine, front- and four-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact pickup
Price: $21,490, including $1,495 destination fee ($21,490 FWD XL Hybrid and $37,360 FWD Lariat turbo-4 as tested)
Powerplant: Hybrid 2.5-liter 4-cylinder mated to electric motor; 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Power: 191 horsepower, 155 pound-feet torque (hybrid); 250 horsepower, 277 pound-feet torque (turbo-4)
Transmission: Continuously variable transmission (hybrid); 8-speed automatic (turbo-4)
Payload: 1,500 pounds; Towing capacity: 2,000-4,000 pounds
Weight: 3,674 pounds (hybrid as tested); 3,731 pounds (AWD turbo-4 as tested)
Fuel economy: 36 mpg (hybrid combined, observed on test drive); EPA est. mpg 23 city/30 highway/26 combined (turbo-4 FWD); 22 city/29 highway/25 combined (turbo-4 AWD)
Report card
Highs: Hybrid price is right; nifty interior
Lows: No sub-bed option like Hyundai Santa Cruz; wireless Apple CarPlay, please
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
First drive: GMC Hummer EV pickup is an elephant in tennis shoes
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 5, 2021
Milford — The GMC Hummer EV truck is big, bad and surprisingly balletic.
The Detroit News got a rare opportunity behind the wheel of the mega-ute at General Motors’ 4,000-acre Milford Proving Grounds, where it showed off its bag of tricks. Reborn as an electric vehicle 30 years after it invaded U.S. roads as a military-Humvee-turned-SUV, the upcoming GMC Hummer aims to be the General’s halo for a new generation of electron-powered autos.
A halo performance pickup? It’s true. The Hummer EV truck, expected to hit dealerships by year’s end, is being produced in the automaker’s Factory Zero at Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center. Overall, GM is investing $35 billion through 2025 in electric and autonomous technologies, and plans to have 30 EVs globally in that time frame.
Brands have used super cars to showcase their best engineering, but battery size (the Hummer reportedly weighs more than 9,000 pounds) can inhibit sports cars compared with their lighter gas peers. Enter the electric super truck, which doesn’t sweat the added weight — and even benefits from the battery pack’s location between chassis frame rails to lower the center of gravity for better handling. Armed with three electric motors, 1,000 horsepower and state-of-the-art electronics, the 2022 First Edition model should come with a cape.
I mashed the accelerator and the Hummer EV’s jaw jutted upward. Then it devoured a gravel and dirt road, evenly distributing torque between its four 35-inch off-road tires. Then this elephant in tennis shoes showed off some circus tricks.
I rotated the beast in a 37-foot circle — equivalent to a much smaller Chevy Equinox — then pitched it through a tight slalom like a sedan.
Credit all-wheel-steer that can angle rear wheels up to 10 degrees. It’s reminiscent of the Ford Bronco’s Trial Turn Assist, which brakes the inside front wheel to achieve similar results. Turn off Traction Control and Hummer will do dirt doughnuts. The maneuverability is assisted by the Hummer’s independent rear suspension — a novelty (the Ford F-150 Lightning EV also has it) among full-size trucks that prefer solid rear axles to maximize towing but sacrifice handling. Hummer’s priorities lie elsewhere.
If the original military Humvee was armored for battle, Hummer EV is built for the Outback.
Its extreme suspension travel allows the elephant to hike its skirt 16 inches off the ground (from a normal 10.5), as well as provide a ridiculous 50-inch approach angle to manage tough terrain. In Terrain mode, I utilized 18 camera views — two of them under the truck’s belly — to pick through a rock pile. From the 13.4-inch console screen, I monitored camera views above, below and beside the Hummer.
Inevitable slips off rocks were cushioned by the truck’s sturdy frame rails and full underbody armor. Such capability is familiar to other off-road trucks — Hummer smooths the experience with instant electric torque at my right foot.
The pickups’ signature “CrabWalk” mode can be activated via the console’s rotary dial. The system steers front and rear wheels at parallel angles, allowing me to escape sideways — crab-like — from tight spots.
Some of Hummer’s EV compatriots — think Rivian R1T pickup — put a motor at each wheel to do derring-do like tank turns. Hummer’s engineering team chose the more conventional route of e-motors mounted amidships.
“We did it for efficiency,” said chief engineer Al Oppenheiser, who knows something about power, having developed the Chevy Camaro. “It’s easier to move torque between the motors and it’s more affordable.”
Maximize torque to all three motors in the First Edition and you get GM’s “Watts to Freedom” acceleration to 60 mph in just three seconds. That’s on par with my electric Tesla Model 3 Performance, which weighs half as much as Hummer.
The Tesla also, ahem, has less than half of the GMC’s 1,200 pound-feet of torque and 1,000 horsepower.
Prep Watts to Freedom with two taps of the Traction Control Button. The beast crouches on all fours. The driver’s seat begins to vibrate (“Like a rollercoaster ride,” grins Oppenheiser). The vibration grows stronger. Flatten the throttle pedal on GM’s asphalt oval test track, and the truck explodes forward — 60 mph goes by in a blur.
Hummer’s development speed was nearly as quick.
Clean-sheet vehicles usually take four years to develop. Hummer EV took just over two, being developed in 117 weeks. Credit modern simulators and computer-assisted design systems — including a state-of-the-art Driver in the Loop simulator in Milford’s Building 144.
“We couldn’t have done it without these tools,” lead development engineer Aaron Pfau said. “It gets us 95% to where we need to be before a model hits the road.”
That speed to market — the $112,595 First Edition should make deliveries before year’s end (standard $80,000 models in the first quarter of 2022) — is guaranteed even with the semiconductor crisis plaguing industry production.
“Our volume is protected,” Oppenheiser said. “For chips, seat foam, steel … anything affected by the pandemic.”
Little would seem to affect Hummer on road — the air suspension smooths the ladder frame even at highway speeds. Like its predecessor, it is intimidating — its broad shoulders and tall stance reflected in celebrity spokesman LeBron James. Get outta the way when Hummer wants to dunk.
Unlike its spartan predecessor, the Hummer EV’s interior is a swank game room. Materials are first-rate, seats comfortable, ergonomics well-thought-out. It’s capped off by two huge screens: instrument (12.3 inches) and infotainment (13.4 inches). Both are run by Epic Games’ 3D Unreal Engine rendering software — the same Epic Games behind PlayStation graphics and PC game hits like “Fortnite.”
My time in the pickup was brief and performance-focused. I could have stayed longer, exploring its interior options, big backseat, six-way Multi-Pro tailgate. And then I could have removed the roof panels and spent the night star-gazing.
The panels can be stored in the frunk (front trunk), where the gas engine used to be. This isn’t your father’s Hummer.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Jim Hall’s Chaparral racers highlight Pontiac’s American Speed Festival
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 2, 2021
Pontiac — The ground will shake this weekend when three of the most legendary race cars in motorsport hit the M1 race track at the inaugural American Speed Festival.
Created by Texan Jim Hall, the Chaparral 2, 2E and 2F revolutionized motorsport in the 1960s with their daring aerodynamic designs. Along with Lotus-founder Colin Chapman of England, Hall — who also raced his cars — helped define a golden age of racing that pushed the boundaries of technology and speed.
Hall is being honored with the Festival’s Master of Motorsports Award as his creations headline a unique weekend celebrating auto racing past, present and future. In addition to ogling dozens of racers covering the spectrum from NASCAR to IndyCar, fans will get to see the thoroughbreds perform on track — including the rare Chaparrals in their signature vanilla white livery.
The Texas engineer’s showcase is timely as motorsport experiences a second renaissance with more offerings than ever before — yet in a very different industry environment where a government and corporate electrification push is forcing the homogenization of production and race cars alike.
“I came along at a time when a lot of latitude was given to change cars,” said Hall, 86, in an interview looking back on six decades of racing. “As anything becomes standardized and everyone focuses on the best equipment, then everyone heads in the same direction until someone comes up with a new idea.”
In addition to industry pressures, motorsport has self-regulated to encourage competitive racing that attracts TV coverage. The ‘60s, by contrast, were the Wild West of motorsport and independent innovators like Hall, Chapman, Dan Gurney and Bruce McLaren were full of new ideas.
Some of those ideas are prominently displayed in the Festival’s Chaparral Corral.
Powered by a ground-thumping Chevy V-8, Hall’s Chaparral 2 exploded on the scene in 1963 with an aviation-inspired chassis design. Using fiberglass-reinforced plastic, a mid-engine layout and automatic transmission, Hall notched 22 wins in 39 races.
The next-gen Chaparral 2E, however, would be the car that captured the world’s attention. Entered in the 1966 Can Am series — the fastest sportscar series on the planet — the sleek racer featured a high-wing (operated by the driver’s left foot) to generate downforce to push the car into the road for better cornering grip.
“We started with a brand-new sheet of paper and put everything we knew about aerodynamics at that time into the car,” said Hall, who calls the 2E his favorite design. “It was a major change . . . and after (people) saw that, they realized (the wing) was a very important feature.”
Wings are ubiquitous on race cars today. Hall competed with the 2F — designed with a similar high wing — in the 1967 World Manufacturer’s Series, competing neck-and-neck with full factory-funded teams from Ford, Porsche and Ferrari.
Models from those famous marques will also be on display in a sweeping look at motor racing’s evolution.
Henry Ford’s original 1901 Sweepstakes car — the winning racer that grabbed the attention of investors — will take laps around M1 Concourse’s 1.5-mile race track. A 1973 Porsche 917/30 — generating more than 1,000 horsepower — will make an appearance, as will a 2015 Ferrari Challenge GT car.
Modeled after the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, the track days will also showcase great drivers including England’s David Hobbes and Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, who will demonstrate his 1966 Eagle-Ford V-8 Indy car. Hall will not make the trip to Pontiac, but his son and grandson will be on hand to pilot his cars on track.
“The American Speed Festival allows race fans to get close to some of the greatest performance and race cars in the world and learn more about some of the legends of the sport,” said Tim McGrane, CEO of M1.
Speed Festival follows an active summer at the private racing club that began with legal drag racing at Dodge’s Roadkill Nights kicking off Woodward Dream Cruise week on Aug. 14. Roadkill was book-ended by the Woodward Dream Show the following Saturday and featured some of the wildest modified cars in existence. Last weekend, M1 hosted the inaugural Motor Bella — a scaled-down, outdoor version of the Detroit Auto Show that focused on experiential rides in everything from Ford Broncos to Dodge Hellcats.
American Speed Festival continues the show trend away from static displays — and toward putting vehicles into action. Each year, ASF will feature a class of cars and honor an industry legend. This year’s featured Can Am cars defined a ’60s racing era with no limits.
“I don’t know that there is anyone who, by himself, changed the sport of auto racing globally as much as Jim Hall,” said George Levy, president of the Motorsport Hall of Fame of America and author of a coming biography about Hall. “To car-crazy kids like me in the 1960s, Jim Hall was the Neil Armstrong of motorsports.”
The American Speed Festival kicked off Thursday with an exclusive “Dine and Drive” event throughout Metro Detroit for behind-the-scenes looks at Motor City automotive history. Friday and Saturday heat up with fast laps, while Sunday offers the ASF Exposition, which judges the best cars in all classes. Guests also have a chance to ride shotgun with a pro drier in a Dodge Hellcat or Lexus sports sedan.
The family friendly American Speed Festival offers a Festival Pass for $75 per person with free attendance for children under 12. In addition to the cars, there will be daily live entertainment, including music and RC cars for kids to race.
“I get a real good feeling from the youngsters who read about (my racing) but didn’t get to see it,” said Hall. “And they still get excited about it.”
For more information, go to https://americanspeedfestival.com/
American Speed Festival, Friday, Oct. 1-Sunday Oct. 3
Gates open at 7 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Road trip! Turning heads, chasing chargers up north in Mustang Mach-E
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 2, 2021
Charlevoix — While I waited for my 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E tester to charge at an Electrify America station in a Meijer parking lot in Gaylord, a couple waiting for their Model S to recharge at the adjacent Tesla station asked if they could check out my filly.
“I really like it,” said Raj after I gave him the full tour. “It’s better looking than a Model Y and it really feels solid.”
My encounter captures the promise and limitations of Ford’s first EV.
The comely Mustang gets a lot of interest in a hungry Midwest market that has been dominated by Silicon Valley’s sexy Tesla brand. But it’s a niche market of people willing to spend their road trips hanging out in, um, discount store parking lots for extended periods of time.
I spent a week with Ford’s first EV up north. Like renting a Mustang convertible on a vacation trip, it’s a refreshingly different experience: high-tech, high-torque, high style. And, like my Tesla Model 3 (in which I’ve made the same trip many times), it demands patience when outside its metro comfort zone.
“Training a wild mustang (horse),” Sunset Magazine once wrote, “can be, to no one’s surprise, an intimidating task.” So can driving an electric Mustang Mach-E on a road trip.
With 197 miles on the Mach E’s battery, I left Oakland County for a vacation cottage in Charlevoix. “Navigate to Charlevoix, Michigan,” I barked at the nav system. I might have heard the navi voice sigh as she plotted my trip. It would be a two-stopper.
I did not have enough juice to go the 255-mile distance — a distance easily covered in, say, a gas-powered Ford Explorer. I would have to stop first at an Electrify America fast charger at a Bay City Meijer on the way.
With the outside temp at a pleasant 72 degrees, Mach-E and I trotted along with traffic at 80 mph. But speed (and temperature) drinks electrons. Above 75 mph, I start losing 20% of range (that is, for each 10 miles I traveled on the odometer, I took 12 off the battery). I backed off to 70 mph to conserve electrons, swallowing my pride as Explorers blew by my ’Stang at 80 mph. As the outside temp dropped to 50 degrees in the evening (in, ahem, July. What’s this I hear about global warming?), I even suffered range loss at 70 mph.
My standard-battery Mach-E tester stickered for $47,235 — a significant 10 grand under the price of a long-range, 326-mile Model Y, which is the only Tesla available right now (standard range model not available). Mach-E wore a striking shade of Rapid Red (I like) which, at $400, is also cheaper than Model Y’s $2,000 red coat option. Factor in the $7,500 federal tax subsidy (no longer available on Teslas), and the $39K is a no-brainer for budget-minded EV buyers (if still significantly more than a comparable gas-powered Ford Bronco Sport).
“I want to arrive at my friends’ house in a Mustang,” smiled the Detroit-raised motorhead.
The brand appeal was not lost on others on my journey. “Is that the new Mustang EV?!” thrilled a middle-aged couple in Charlevoix. “That’s sooo cool.”
Convincing them (and my son) to buy one, however, is the challenge. “Good luck beta-testing EVs for Ford,” they said, walking away. At the local Ford dealer here, customers had put in 11 orders for the new gas-powered Ford Bronco — none for the Mach-E. Bronco Sports are outselling Mach-Es by 6:1.
Owning an EV requires doing a lot of math. After a half-hour at Bay City’s Meijer charger, I stopped at 80% charge. Why 80%, you ask? Because the charging rate drops off sharply after 80% (charging an EV, the analogy goes, is like filling a beer glass — the last bit is slow). Charging to 100% would take another two hours. Gotta’ know these things owning an EV.
Also of note: it costs more to fill your EV (14.5 cents per mile) at EA’s 43-cents-per-kWh rate than your gas car (13 cents per mile) at $3.20-a-gallon gas prices. For now, though, automakers are providing free charges.
Mach-E told me I had 160 miles left, enough to make it to Charlevoix — albeit with 0% of battery left. I needed to charge in Gaylord to bank enough miles to get around in charger-poor Charlevoix. But Mach-E couldn’t find the Electrify America fast charger. I called EA’s 800 number to confirm it was working. Whew! After my Meijer stop (and conversation with Tesla-philes), I arrived in Charlevoix at 1:25 a.m.
Mach-E got a lot of interest from my Charlevoix neighbors. I gave a lot of test-drives.
The SUV’s Mustang styling cues — muscular shoulders, three-bar taillights, brooding headlamps — drew them in. Inside, it’s a Tesla clone with a big 15.5-inch center screen running the show (and a helpful LCD screen behind the steering wheel bearing key data like range and mph). It’s roomy and a hoot to drive (for a ute) with instant electric torque and low center of gravity.
Susie, a 76-year-old granny in tennis shoes who owns an Audi Q5, was smitten. She took an extended test-drive enjoying Mach-E’s single-pedal driving, hands-free drive assist and artificial engine sound in Unbridled mode. We did lots of range-sucking Unbridled mode.
With just 76 miles of range left on Mach-E (I needed 50 to get back to Gaylord’s EA charger to top up for the trip home), I went to charge overnight at Charlevoix’s lone 240-volt charger. It was blocked off by a summer carnival in town. What to do?
Mach E’s nav said a dealership three miles out of town had a 240-volt charger. The Jeep dealer was nice enough to let me use the charger, but it was slow. A just-installed Ford dealer charger across the road (which did not show up in the Mach E’s charger finder) worked best. I plugged in and rode 20 minutes back to our cottage on a bicycle I’d stashed in the Mach E’s hatch.
Maybe EVs should be sold with bicycles.
The lesson: if you want to travel north in your EV, install a charger (cost: about $2,000) in your second home (indeed, that’s what a Model S-owning doctor I met at another Meijer had done in Traverse City). Or keep your EV in Detroit for local commutes, then buy a gas-powered Explorer for trips everywhere else.
2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger SUV
Price: $43,995, including $1,100 destination fee ($47,235 RWD Select with standard battery as tested)
Powerplant: 68-88 kWh lithium-ion battery driving single-or-twin electric motors
Power: 266 horsepower, 317 pound-feet of torque (as tested)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.8 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 134 mph
Weight: 4,394 pounds (as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA MPGe 101 combined city/highway; range, 211 miles
Report card
Highs: Gets folks’ attention; useful hatchback for carrying stuff
Lows: Inferior refueling network; pricey compared to gas peers
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Bronco and Wrangler lock horns at Detroit 4Fest
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 2, 2021
Holly — When the going gets tough, the tough get going.
Rain put a damper on the first Motor Bella auto show at M1 Concourse Sept. 21-26. But 30 miles north at Holly Oaks ORV Park’s third annual Detroit 4Fest, the water just added spice to the off-road recipe. Holly Oaks is home to an epic off-road playground of dirt, sand, hills, bogs and trails spread out over 192 acres and 200 feet of elevation change.
It’s a grown-ups sandbox that attracted 1,200 off-road lovers for a weekend of fun — including this big, 6’5” kid. It also brought Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos face-to-face in the most anticipated rivalry since a Camaro and Mustang first squared off at a Woodward stoplight.
“Let’s go!” said King of the Hammers founder Dave Cole as I handed him the keys to my four-door 2022 Ford Bronco tester.
Cole is no stranger to off-road playgrounds. He’s won the Baja 1000, Pikes Peak and countless other off-road races in extreme, Ultra4 off-road beasts. His California-based King of the Hammers is one of the country’s premier off-road racing series. This was his first taste of Holly Oaks (it just opened last fall), and it didn’t take him long to find the biggest challenges.
Darlene’s Ridge rises 125 feet above the sandy floor of Holly Oaks. Getting to the top requires traversing a narrow 30-degree gully that gets steeper as you climb. After days of rain, the trail was slipperier than an oily rope.
“We can get to the top of that,” Cole confidently declared after watching a 4×4 surrender after a failed assault that ended two-thirds of the way up.
Our Bronco is built for this kind of insane terrain.
Dressed in striking Area 51 Blue, the new Ford got a lot of looks in my neighborhood before I headed out to Holly. My neighbor Heather covets it for her next vehicle and liked its smooth ride, all-digital display, wireless smartphone connectivity and roomy interior (the Bronco has about two more inches of shoulder/legroom in front and seven more cubic feet for cargo than arch-rival Wrangler).
But the ute’s enormous, meaty 35-inch tires on bead-lockable 17-inch wheels are there for a reason. Part of the $4,495 Sasquatch package (available on every Bronco model), they complemented our armored Black Diamond trim (rock rails, washable interior, seven drive modes, steel bumpers, skid plates) to make the truck-based SUV a dirt-eating monster: electromechanical transfer case, locking front/rear axles, bulging plastic fenders, higher ground clearance, and brawny Bilstein shocks. Oh joy!
Cole dialed the GOAT (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) mode selector to Mud/Ruts, then selected 4-wheel-drive Low.
WAAUUUGH! We charged up the incline … only to fall back at the summit, all four wheels churning helplessly. We reversed back down. Tried again. Failed. Cole toggled 4-HIGH for the next assault.
WAAUUUGH! Short again. Off-roading is a social sport. A crowd was gathering at the summit to watch what the new Bronco kid on the block could do. “Try it in manual mode, both lockers on!” advised a bystander (now that’s a guy who knows his Broncos!).
We watched two side-by-sides and a Toyota truck fail. Our turn again.
WAAAUUUGH! We made it, the front wheels leaving the ground as we cleared the top. A roar went up from the crowd. Cole punched the Trail Turn Assist feature and did doughnuts in celebration.
Cole went hunting for more obstacles. Then I went hunting for more. Then I handed the wheel to Jeremy, with a Bronco on order, and he found still more. By the end of the afternoon, the Bronco’s blue patina was barely visible, obscured by a layer of mud and dirt — Bronco’s best color.
For years, Mustang, Camaro and Challenger muscle cars have tested each other at stoplights, twisted roads and race tracks. Now the Bronco and Wrangler are headlining new battlefields where the asphalt ends — alongside Chevy Colorado ZR2s, Ford Raptors, Ram Rebels and a growing herd of mudders.
Like their muscle car brethren, off-road competition will raise all boats — er, SUVs.
Wrangler has already upped its game with an Xtreme Recon package that offers 35-inch tires and specially tuned shocks resulting in best-in-class 12.9-inches of ground clearance, approach angle (47.4 degrees), breakover angle (26.7 degrees) and departure angle (40.4).
Those tools came in handy in even trickier Holly Oaks conditions when I hit the trails pre-4Fest in a steady rain. The Xterme package benefits a lineup that has a big head start on Bronco in drivetrains.
The Wrangler can be had in turbo-4, V-6, diesel, 4xe plug-in electric, and — my favorite — V-8 392 mode.
That’s 392 as in the same 392-cubic-inch bear at the heart of a Dodge Challenger Scat Pack. RRRAOOWWRR! growled the Jeep 392 Rubicon as I fired it up. My co-pilot was Jim Morrison, Jeep CEO and a passionate off-roader himself who calls Holly Oaks his backyard.
We hammered around the park’s muddy trails in 4-LOW, putting the Jeep’s trusty twin lockers and detachable sway bars to good use over rocks, hills and gullies. But the 392’s secret sauce is 470 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque.
Grinding up another impossible grade, we tested the Rubicon’s Selec-Speed Control, which senses slip in all four corners — then distributes torque where needed. We hit a deep rut of mud that challenged even this tool of electronic wizardry — the Jeep slipping, sliding, struggling to get out of the hole.
“Just 392 it!” said Morrison.
I planted my right foot and the Wrangler exploded out of the hole like a mortar shell, scampering to the summit. Ya’ gotta have a V-8.
On the trail over the weekend, Bronco and Wrangler owners happily co-existed. Like muscle car track days, off-roaders are family. They help their neighbors stuck in swamps, on hills, over rocks.
After the park closes, the discussions will grow more heated over dinner as partisans compare their steeds. Jeep owners will highlight authenticity born in World War II, twin solid axles, manual transfer case shifter.
Bronco riders will boast of modern tech, better on-road manners thanks to an independent front suspension, even a front hood that’s easier to open.
For my money (and, ahem, these warriors ain’t cheap), they are both correct. They give us motorheads more options for when the going gets tough.
2022 Ford Bronco Black Diamond
Vehicle type: Front engine, four-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact SUV
Price: $40,835, including $1,495 destination fee ($48,325 as tested)
Powerplant: 2.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder
Power: 300 horsepower, 325 pound-feet torque
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 8.0 seconds (Motor Trend est.); towing capacity, 3,500 pounds
Weight: 5,100 pounds (
Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 20 city/22 highway/21 combined
Report card
Highs: Easy-to-use off-road tools; those big 35-inch tires
Lows: Feels floaty on freeway; gets pricey
Overall: 4 stars
2021 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392
Vehicle type: Front engine, four-wheel-drive, five-passenger compact SUV
Price: $74,995, including $1,495 destination fee ($78,545 as tested)
Powerplant: 6.4-liter V-8
Power: 470 horsepower, 470 pound-feet torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (mfr.); towing capacity, 3,500 pounds
Weight: 5,100 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA est. mpg 13 city/17 highway/14 combined
Report card
Highs: Go anywhere attitude; OMG V-8
Lows: Transfer case shifter requires some muscle; gets pricey
Overall: 4 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Acura TLX Type S struts its Type A personality
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 2, 2021
Gaylord — Get it in Tiger Eye Pearl.
With its dramatic color (don’t call it bronze), my 2021 Acura TLX Type S is meant to be noticed. Angular jawbones. Diamond pentagon grille. Hooded Camaro-like headlights. Front and rear spoilers. Quad tailpipes the size of ship cannons.
“Cool car,” said a passerby in Gaylord.
“Really like that car,” said another in Charlevoix.
“Did a great job on the styling,” said my gearhead son.
The Type S is the Japanese luxury brand’s Type A personality. It’s a return to the brand’s sporty roots (Acura is even bringing the sporty Integra nameplate back) and a Type S badge that graced its performance models like the TL, CL and RSX in the 2000s.
To emphasize the point, Acura introduced the Type S in May at Mid-Ohio race track in the hands of none other than IndyCar supercar Helio Castroneves, who wrung the sedan’s neck around one of North America’s most demanding tracks with your loyal Detroit News scribe strapped into the right-hand seat. It was his first time in the car as well as mine.
“I was not expecting it to be this quick — wow,” exclaimed the four-time Indy 500 winner as he mashed the throttle onto the front straight.
This go-round, the Type S is aimed squarely at luxury muscle cars like Audi’s S-line, BMW’s M-series, Cadillac’s V-series — vehicles that beg you to bypass the interstate and take the long way home on country roads.
West of Interstate 75 in northern Michigan, I turned right on to M-32 — its serpentine curves flowing like a fast river to Lake Michigan. I held the Drive Mode selector to the right until it registered SPORT PLUS. HUNNHHH! The engine quickly downshifted with a grunt. Type S, meet S curves.
Its muscles taut, the Acura leapt from turn to turn, the 355-horse turbo-6 — unique to this car in the TLX lineup — roaring. The paddle shifters — unlike many vehicles — responded quickly to my touch, downshifting 4-3-2 into a hairpin turn with a matching engine blip. HUNHH! HUNH! Big red Brembo brakes slowed the 4,221-pound all-wheel-drive beast. Back up through the ratios in this 10-speed box, the Type S was confident, smooth.
The Acura is worthy of the segment. But the joy of the Type S is not just in its eager drivetrain.
This is a sedan that aims to be as different as the mid-engine NSX supercar that rebirthed Honda’s performance brand back in 2015. While not as radical as Tesla, the TLX is a comprehensive reassessment of each vehicle feature.
Take the aforementioned Drive Mode selector. Like Cyclops’ eye, the selector is the focus of the Acura console. I spun the selector to the desired setting — COMFORT, NORMAL, SPORT, SPORT PLUS (yes!) — then tucked my fingers into the “trigger shifter” buttons below. It’s intuitive and an Acura signature. Over time, you learn its contours and don’t even need to look when shifting between, say, reverse and drive.
Acura’s next innovation in its so-called Acura Precision Cockpit is more problematic. Like a Mazda 3, the remote infotainment screen is high on the dash for better driver visibility. Unlike the Mazda’s rotary dial (familiar to users of Audi, BMW, Genesis), TLX uses a touchpad as controller.
It’s not as unworkable as Lexus’ maddening touchpad, but it takes time to learn. May I recommend learning it when stationary? It’ll save you distraction. I’ve grown accustomed to the pad after driving multiple TLX, RDX and MDX models — and it has its charms. In particular, I love the — CHING! — sound it makes when I swipe from screen to screen. Like all systems (save, ahem, the dreaded Lexus) you’ll eventually settle on a pattern of icons you prefer (aided by corresponding steering wheel buttons).
The dramatic cockpit offers separation from Acura’s more spare Honda sub-brand. That’s good. Indeed, the Type S bears no similarity to the Civic Type R, Honda’s halo hellion. The two vehicles crystallize the difference between the two brands. Both are fast. But the Type S is sophisticated, stylish. The Type R — with a wing here and black tattoos there — looks like it was designed by a teenage gamer.
Still, the Acura is a cautionary tale in how quickly technology is moving. The 2021 platform has already been lapped by the 2022 Civic, which boasts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, compared with the Type S’s wired connections.
Curious, too, is the midsize TLX chassis layout. Its 113-inch wheelbase puts it squarely between the 115-inch Audi A6 and 111-inch Audi A4. However, the Acura’s 32.9-inch rear seat legroom is significantly smaller than the Civic’s 35 inches (on a 110-inch wheelbase). That makes for tight rear-seat confines if you pick up your six-foot-tall buddies for a night out.
That space consideration might drive performance advocates to the roomier Audi S6. But Acura is betting everybody else on the block has an Audi. And that four-ring badge will cost you a whopping $79,440, while my comparably equipped Type S tester is $53,825. Oh.
Roll down the cu-de-sac in your Tiger Eye Pearl Acura — Jewel-eye headlights shooting daggers — and no one will mistake you for an Audi. The Type S exudes a muscle-car vibe — consistent with its birthplace in the industrial Ohio heartland.
In that regard, the Type S’s most natural competitor is the Cadillac CT5 V-series — itself equipped with a special turbo-6 with specs remarkably similar to the Type S: 10-speed tranny, exquisite handling, sculpted design. And the Caddy easily fit my 6’5” frame in back. I was enthralled with it after an aggressive drive to Hell (Michigan) and back.
But the Acura makes a strong value play with its standard AWD system compared with the $57,000 Caddy’s RWD offering. Add AWD and the Cadillac’s price balloons to $64,000.
Michiganians might appreciate that AWD in, say, February.
2021 Acura TLX Type S
Vehicle type: Front-engine, all-wheel-drive, five-passenger sports sedan
Price: $53,325, including $1,025 destination fee ($53,825 as tested)
Powerplant: 3.0-liter turbocharged 6-cylinder
Power: 355 horsepower, 354 pound-feet of torque
Transmissions: 10-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph (4.9 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 155 mph
Weight: 4,221 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA, 19 mpg city/25 highway/21 combined
Report card
Highs: Head-turning style; smooth, powerful drivetrain
Lows: Small backseat; quirky touchpad
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Detroit News Readers’ Choice Awards: Hummer EV and Ford rule
Posted by Talbot Payne on October 2, 2021
Pontiac — Bigger is better.
The GMC Hummer EV took home Best in Show in the annual Detroit News Readers’ Choice awards at Motor Bella this year — leading a parade of muscled trucks and SUVs as car buyers’ favorites at the outdoor substitute for the Detroit Auto show. Ford racked up five awards as readers judged their favorites on M1 Concourse’s sprawling campus Friday.
The awards are coveted by automakers for their status as the Detroit show’s only awards judged by car buyers themselves.
The Hummer — which first assaulted the market in the early ’90s as a military-inspired, gas-guzzling SUV — has been reborn as a nearly five-ton, electron-guzzling EV that can hit 60 mph in a mere 3 seconds in its ultimate, 1,000-horsepower trim. The Hummer won 40% of judges votes — double the number of runner-up Ford F-150 Lightning. Hummer also scored first place in the Best Future Concept category.
The Lightning EV — no slouch itself at hitting 60 mph in 4.5 seconds thanks to 775 pound-feet of torque — led a strong team of new Ford products to win trophies.
Lightning grabbed Coolest Technology while its smaller EV sibling, the Mustang Mach-E, electrified the judges as Most Amazing Mobility and Most Eco-friendly.
Ford’s long-awaited Bronco — one of the hottest vehicles on the market — shrugged off recent roof troubles to pick up the prizes for Best Family Fun Finder and Baddest Off-Road Vehicle. The latter category was hotly contested, with Bronco getting the nod over the Ford F-150 Raptor and Ram 1500 TRX super trucks.
Even Ford’s luxury division got into the act with the Lincoln Navigator land yacht beating the Mercedes S-class by a nose for Best Road-Trip Ride.
The only non-SUV to score a prize was America’s favorite supercar, the mid-engine Corvette C8. It won for Best Dream Machine, narrowly beating the Rolls Royce Cullinan, the Brit brand’s first ute. Corvette fans will get more muscle on Oct. 26, when Chevy takes the wraps off its Z06 performance version.
Stellantis’ Jeep Renegade broke up the GM/Ford monopoly by winning The Most for Your Money prize over second-place Hyundai Elantra.
Winners:
BEST IN SHOW: GMC Hummer EV
BEST ROAD-TRIP RIDE: Lincoln Navigator
COOLEST TECHNOLOGY: Ford F-150 Lightning
THE MOST FOR YOUR MONEY: Jeep Renegade
MOST ECO-FRIENDLY: Ford Mustang Mach-E
MOST AMAZING MOBILITY: Ford Mustang Mach-E
BEST FAMILY FUN FINDER: Ford Bronco
BEST FUTURE CONCEPT: GMC Hummer EV
BEST DREAM MACHINE: Chevrolet Corvette C8
BADDEST OFF-ROAD VEHICLE: Ford Bronco
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: ‘Lost Corvettes’ find owners at Motor Bella charity giveaway
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 24, 2021
Pontiac — When Corvette expert Chris Mazzilli saw 36 forlorn Corvettes buried in dust and bird droppings in New York garages, one thought crossed his mind: “This is the greatest barn find in history.”
Today at Motor Bella on M1 Concourse’s event center stage, six of those historic coupes — polished like new — will be given away to six lucky ticket holders in the ‘Vettes for Vets Sweepstakes.
Mazzillii and his New York partners, the Heller and Spindler families, created Corvette Heroes and have spent the last seven years restoring the “Lost Corvettes” from legendary pop artist Peter Max’s collection to their former glory. In the process they have raised over a million dollars for American military veterans with disabilities like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain injuries.
As part of their fundraising efforts Corvette Heroes created a national Sweepstakes to win the rare ‘Vettes in which participants could buy $3 tickets online at TheLostCorvettes.com. Of the the 36 Lost Corvettes, 22 have already been given away in drawings on Veterans Day and Memorial Day in New York City — and in Chicago in July. After the Pontiac giveaway, eight will be left.
Corvette Heroes is flying the six winners into Detroit from all corners of the USA to collect their treasure at the ‘Vettes for Vets event — but winners won’t know which cars they will take home (tax-free) until noon Friday at Motor Bella.
The six ‘Vettes are classics.
A white, 1955 model — one of only 700 produced — headlines the group with a value approaching $200,000. A 1973 Stingray with unique chrome bumpers, made for only one model year. An ’82 model in two-tone blue is the last of the Corvette C3 generation.
A 1962 black Corvette, ’71 model, and ’89 convertible with just 7,000 miles round out the offerings, which have been on display since Tuesday. Heavy rain has kept them under wraps some of the time.
Artist Max purchased the collection in 1989 from the winner of a VH1 giveaway. His intent was to use them as one-of-a-kind art canvases — but instead they sat for more than a quarter-century in a series of New York City parking garages managed by the Hellers and Spindlers.
“The dust and layer of grime actually protected them,” laughs Mazzilli. “But some were in pretty bad shape. We restored them or, in some cases, modified them, like a 1967 Corvette that we upgraded with a 427 big block engine.”
The Hellers and Spindlers bought the collection from Max in 2014 and set about restoring it with Mazzilli’s assistance.
“It’s very personal to me,” said Mazzilli who owns the Dream Collection restoration shop on Long Island. “A number of my family have served in the military and we are very close to veterans.”
The sweepstakes money benefits Stand for the Troops, a national nonprofit that offers a diverse set of therapies to veterans suffering from PTSD, brain injuries and other permanent and debilitating psychological and physical wounds of war.
After the Pontiac six are awarded at Motor Bella, eight Lost Corvettes remain to be auctioned at two more events later this year.
‘Vettes for Vets
WHEN: 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 24
WHERE: Motor Bella, M1 Concourse, 1 Concourse Dr, Pontiac, MI 48341
WINNERS of the six classic Corvettes Sweepstakes:
Tommy Cain from Austin, Texas
Joseph Keller from Stoughton, Wisconsin
Jean Lamborn from Grapevine, Texas
Peter Lawrence from Studio City, California
Steven Mortensen from Parkland, Florida
David Trautenberg from New Orleans, Louisiana
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Here are the 10 best features at Motor Bella
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 23, 2021
Pontiac — A 1961 Amphicar 770, the amphibious convertible that could drive in water as well as on land, would have been the perfect show car Wednesday when torrential rains shut down Motor Bella at M1 Concourse.
The Amphicar would also fit right in with the show’s experiential theme.
This is a different experience for Detroit Auto Show goers. Static car displays play second fiddle around M1’s 85-acre property containing on- and-off-road tracks. Like M1’s Roadkill Nights before the Woodward Dream Cruise, if you aren’t in a long line waiting for a ride then you’re missing the full experience.
With that in mind, this column recommends — not just the best cars in show — but the best Motor Bella features. Here’s my Top Ten:
Ride the ‘Rex: What do you get when your cross a Hellcat with a Ram pickup? TRX — pronounced T-rex. With a 702-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 in its belly, the Ram 1500 TRX joins the Ford Raptor as segment-busting supertrucks. Ram wants you to experience TRX at full tilt. Jump in line at the 120-square-foot off-road experience and hang on: with a pro driver at the reins, you’ll accelerate from 0-60, hurtle moguls, claw ’round a dirt banking and hit 50 mph before flying — yes, flying — over a jump. TRX sticks the landing every time.
F-150 Lightning bolt: At the opposite, northwest end of the M1 property from the TRX test is an on-track opportunity with the electric Ford F-150 Lightning. It’s the stealth pickup. Armed with an absurd 775 pound-feet of torque from twin motors, Lightning will quietly rocket to 60 mph as fast as TRX.
“This sucker’s quick!” exclaimed President Joe Biden when he drove it on a recent Dearborn visit. Check out the pickup’s gigantic frunk (front trunk) where the gas engine used to be. Lightning’s batteries are stored low between the pickup’s frame rails.
Toyota Tundra: The all-new Tundra, big and aggressive, anchors Toyota’s exhibit overlooking Motor Bella’s infield. Remade from the inside out, the Texas-made pickup learns lessons from its Detroit peers and should be the most competitive full-size Toyota yet. The once conservative skin is replaced by a chiseled bod that looks like it drove out of a LEGO Technic box. Under the new sheet meal, innovations include coil springs in the rear (like Ram), a big 14-inch screen (like the Detroit Three) and composite bed (Toyota’s answer to more corrosive steel and aluminum boxes).
Get dirty in a Wrangler: Jeep Wranglers are everywhere, but have you experienced their off-road capability? Saddle up a Wrangler Rubicon, 392, or 4xe, and you’ll get a treat over Jeep’s diabolical dirt course (next to Ram’s course). Tilt 20 degrees through The Spine, charge up an extreme dirt hill, scamper over logs, chew rocks. The course has it all.
Bronco rodeo: Ford has its sights set on Wrangler and its dirt-kicker has brought a course of its own to M1’s infield. There, a fleet of Broncos take you through water, sand, and up and over a 21-foot-tall roller-coaster hill (the best view in Motor Bella). The obstacles show off the ute’s capabilities and tools, including water-fording, articulated wheel crawling and hill descent control. After the ride, immerse yourself in static displays that demonstrate Bronco’s removable doors, top and fenders.
Mustang Mach-E e-Xperience: Next to the Bronco rodeo is a ride of a different sort. The Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s first EV. Like Bronco vs. Wrangler, Mach-E wants to go toe-to-battery with class stud Tesla Model Y. Big center screen, tight handling, instant torque. Say hello to your driver before he stomps on the throttle — behind those masks are some interesting folks. Mine was a National Hot Rod Association nitro-fuel drag racer.
McLaren Senna: For the first time, the exclusive Gallery exotic car show (usually invitation-only) is open to the masses. Located behind the infield toward the road course, it contains some rare birds. My favorite is the Senna — named, appropriately, after the late Brazilian Formula 1 superstar. The McLaren is a race car with a license plate. It owns Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap record around epic Virginia International Raceway in 2 minutes, 34.9 seconds. That’s, ahem, three seconds faster than a Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
Bollinger B2: Metro Detroit is home to two new pickup brands: Rivian and Bollinger. Bollinger makes its auto show debut at Motor Bella. The imposing, black B1 SUV and B2 pickup siblings loom just off the infield. They’re off-road ready with dual locking-differentials, gnarly tires, 15-inch ground-clearance, and 10-inch suspension travel. My favorite feature is the bumper-to-bumper pass-through channel so you can load longboards.
‘Vettes galore: Lots of eye candy here for fans of America’s favorite supercar. A pair of delicious mid-engine C8 Stingrays — in IMSA GTLM Championship Edition trim — welcome you to GM’s infield tent. But wait, there’s more. The so-called “Lost Corvettes” from artist Peter Max’s historic car collection are on the Woodward Avenue side of the infield. Restored to perfection, six will be given to military veterans Friday as part of a charity auction. Call them ‘Vettes for Vets.
Camaro NASCAR: In addition to the race-inspired Corvettes, GM is showcasing the intersection between racing and production. Hot shoe Austin Dillon dropped in to introduce the next-gen NASCAR Camaro Cup car. It features significant updates with an independent rear suspension, sequential shifter, and wicked stance. It debuts at next year’s Daytona 500.
Not a bad debut for Motor Bella either. Hopefully the first of more great shows.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Fall-a-palooza: Motor Bella and Detroit 4Fest rev up the auto show future
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 23, 2021
Holly — Metro Detroit will get an auto show double-header September 25-26 as Motor Bella and Detroit 4Fest roar into Oakland County.
Motor Bella — aka, the revamped Detroit Auto Show — will showcase 400 of the latest production cars, sportscars, EVs, and exotics at M1 Concourse car club in Pontiac. Just 30 miles up I-75, Detroit 4Fest sponsored by Jeep will be a playground for the latest off-road warriors as 600 vehicles each day descend on the 192-acre Holly Oaks ORV Park. Attendees will be able to sample the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler in their natural habitat.
Ahead of their September auto-palooza, the twin events released details this week. With non-stop action, displays, and activations, both events aim to be the future of auto shows bringing vehicles in their natural asphalt and off-road habitats.
“There will be something for everyone in Oakland County this fall,” said Tom Zielinski, event coordinator for Detroit 4Fest who gave The Detroit News an exclusive look at a 71-acre off-road addition to Holly Oaks ORV Park that will host 4Fest. “You can see today’s off-road models do their stuff here in Holly, or watch performance models do their stuff on track at M1.”
Holly Oaks’ southern, 121-acre area has already become one of the nation’s premier off-road destinations since it opened last fall. The county facility hosted two previous 4Fests before the park opened. With a sprawling, 192 acres now at its disposal, the show will go to another level this year.
The venue will be an arena for today’s premier off-road gladiators, the Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco, that headline an industry shift to more off-road capable SUVs. Detroit 4Fest (which also boasts sponsorships from Fox Shocks, Dana, Magna, and Drive One) will be crawling with everything from Detroit Three pickup trucks to Subaru Outbacks, reflecting a marketplace now dominated by trucks ‘n’ utes.
Wrangler has long dominated the dirt and will showcase models from the V8-powered 392 to the electrified, 4xe model. Bronco is determined to expand consumer offerings in the overlanding space and will showcase its two-and-four door models — two of the hottest vehicles in 2021. Ford also will offer spectators rides to show off Bronco’s abilities around Holly Oaks punishing landscape.
Note to be outdone, sources say Jeep will introduce a new vehicle during two media days before gates open to the public, September 23-24.
Some 600 registered off-road vehicles will then flood the park along with spectators. In addition to Bronco rides, attendees can follow their favorite off-roaders across the park, picnic from food trucks, or visit a variety of vendors at 4Fest’s midway overlooking the park’s south rim.
Further south in Pontiac, Motor Bella also will feature Jeep and Bronco rides along across M1’s 87-acre campus. Its centerpiece is a 1-mile race track that will be open to the public for Motor Bella.
The Bronco will be one of three Ford activations, including the F-150 and Mustang Mach-E electric car. A specially-constructed off-road course is also on offer for ticket-holders to ride in Jeeps and the Ram TRX supertruck.
Motor Bella, sponsored by Delta Air Lines, Michelin and Michigan Economic Development Corp. and presented by PNC Bank, takes place in Pontiac this year as a stand-in for the North American International Auto Show which was canceled in Detroit due to concerns over the pandemic.
The outdoor M1 venue is meant to alleviate COVID-19 concerns (the venue hosted big crowds for the Woodward Dream Cruise’s August Roadkill Nights and Dream Show events) while previewing a new era of interactive, outdoor Detroit auto shows compared to static, indoor shows of Januarys past.
Like Detroit 4Fest, Motor Bella will open to the media with two press days, Sept 21-22. Ford and Toyota will introduce new products amidst a sea of 400 production vehicles from 39 brands. The 25,000-square foot AutoMobili-D exposition will showcase future technologies and the North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) award will announce its 2022 semifinalists.
The venue will then open to the public September 23-26, when the action will really get started. Both Motor Bella and Detroit 4Fest will be alive with vehicles demos.
At Holly Oaks, Zielinski gave a demonstration of the off-roading challenges Detroit 4Fest attendees will encounter.
He piloted a rugged Jeep Gladiator Rubicon pickup through impossible gulches, trails, and 30-degree slopes showing off the SUV’s twin-locking differentials and extreme approach and departure angles. 4Fest attendees also will encounter swamps, 200-foot elevation changes, and Mt. Magna’s formidable suite of Moab, Utah-like off-road obstacles like Potato Salad Hill and Gravy Bowl.
Bulldozers are still working over the new, 71-acre addition as Detroit 4Fest approaches.
At M1 professional drivers will be on hand to give attendees hair-raising rides around the race track. EVs have been a staple of past Detroit shows as attendees descended to the basement for slow rides. Motor Bella will take it up a notch by offering EV rides down Woodward adjacent to M1.
In addition to new vehicles, Motor Bella will host The Gallery, a collection of exotics from Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin and McLaren that normally are exhibited in a separate, invitation-only soiree.
GM will have a healthy presence at Motor Bella, showcasing its giant GMC Hummer EV and an exhibition of its racing history. Its halo Corvette supercar also will get plenty of eyeballs. Aftermarket shop Lingenfelter Engineering will debut an electrified Corvette, and a “Lost Corvettes” show will display 12 refurbished ‘Vette classics (1953-1989), originally from the Peter Max collection.
All Corvettes will be given away as part of a national sweepstakes to benefit the Stand for the Troops non-profit charity.
Schedule:
Motor Bella, M1 Concourse
1 Concourse Dr, Pontiac, MI 48341
Sept. 21-22 – Media Preview
Sept. 23-26 – Public Days
Detroit 4Fest, Holly Oaks ORV park
13536 Dixie Hwy, Holly, MI 48442
Sept 23-24 – Media Preview
Sept. 25-26 – Public Days
(vehicles must pre-register at https://4festevents.com/detroit-4fest-detroit-mi-off-roading-event)
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Motor Bella: Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year semifinalists announced
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 23, 2021
Pontiac — A sprawling buffet of 23 new vehicles will compete for the 2022 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year.
NACTOY opened the Motor Bella auto show Tuesday with its semi-finalist list. The list boasts everything from snarling trucks to whip-quick sedans to electric vehicles. Jurors whittled an initial list of 36 eligible cars, trucks and utility vehicles to choose the semifinalists.
“This year’s group of semifinalists includes some of the most interesting and innovative cars, trucks and utility vehicle candidates in recent memory, and a larger number of new trucks than we’ve seen in many years,” said NACTOY President Gary Witzenburg, “And it features more electric vehicles than we’ve ever seen.”
The semifinalists track trends in the industry as consumers have switched from cars to SUVs and embraced the off-road lifestyle. Following the success of Tesla, manufacturers are also flooding the market with new, performance-oriented EVs.
EV nominees are most prevalent in the truck category where a variety of manufacturers see an opportunity to use electric motors’ torque for hauling and speed. Startup Rivian R1T and the GMC Hummer made the semis with expensive Vs boasting impressive acceleration numbers. But the votes here are likely to come from more mainstream brands like Toyota (its substantially reworked Tundra) and Ford (its first unibody small pickup Maverick). The Hyundai Santa Cruz will also turn heads with its innovative, SUV-based platform.
SUVs are America’s choice of daily rider and nine will vie for the 2022 title. SUVs now take 70% of the market versus 30% for cars.
The Ford Bronco is the favorite here with its long-awaited Wrangler fighter. Jeep icons Grand Cherokee — now with its first three-row model, the L — and Grand Wagoneer will be strong contenders as well. Hyundai waves the flag with three strong entries — the Ioniq EV, Tucson, and luxury Genesis GV70.
Judged by a panel of 50 independent journalists from the United States and Canada, the NACTOY awards are among North America’s most prestigious prizes. Jurors will convene in Ann Arbor in October for a comparison drive of semi-finalists. Finalists will be announced in November and winners crowned in January 2022.
Here are the nominees:
Car of the Year
Audi A3
Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Genesis G70
Honda Civic
Lucid Air
Mercedes EQS EV
Mercedes S-class
VW Golf R/GTI
Truck of the Year
Ford Maverick
GMC Hummer EV
Hyundai Santa Cruz
Nissan Frontier
Rivian R1T
Toyota Tundra
SUV of the Year
Ford Bronco
Genesis GV70
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Tucson
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Jeep Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer
Kia Carnival
Nissan Pathfinder
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
With a roar, mounds of dirt and EVs, Motor Bella opens a new auto show future
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 23, 2021
Pontiac — Motor Bella is not your standard Detroit auto show, and it’s not supposed to be.
The first show since the pandemic is part auto show, part racetrack. Based at M1 Concourse car club in Pontiac, it’s a sign of things to come. Sprawling static displays sit next to test track tests, off-road courses, even off-site drives for customers who want to get behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang Mach-E or Audi e-tron for the first time as manufacturers try to get customers into vehicles — not just to ogle them.
For all of the creativity, however, Motor Bella offers familiar meat and potatoes for Detroit showgoers: trucks and lots of muscle. The Ford Expedition and Toyota Tundra introduced beefy new upgrades while show attendees can ford water in a Bronco or catch air in a roaring, 702-horsepower Ram TRX super truck.
“It feels like a carnival,” said Motor Bella chairman Doug North, who owns North Brothers Ford in Westland. “But we’re kicking it off with a Ford reveal just like an auto show.”
Media press conferences, comparatively light on news compared to the executive-heavy pressers of past, have been replaced by experiences — a Jeep SUV trundling over beds of logs here, a Mustang Mach-E racing down a short chute there.
At the show’s center is a 2.3-acre infield — normally M1’s asphalt test pad — which is dominated by General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV manufacturer brand displays.
Circling the Detroit Three infield like moons are more automaker displays — smaller, static dealers displays, not elaborate stages familiar to TCF Center showgoers. The exception is Toyota Motor Corp., which has constructed a pop-up dealership building that overlooks the infield and is fronted by the Tundra and America’s best-selling SUV, the RAV4.
Typical of Detroit auto shows past, manufacturers push environmental virtue with lots of talk of sustainability and alternative-fuel vehicles. But at Motor Bella, vehicle electrification is no longer a side hustle that may someday be realized — it’s a core business strategy with real products on display. Customers are wooed less by gauzy slogans and more by the reality of experience.
Electric vehicles used to be relegated to the TCF Center basement for test drives. At Motor Bella, they are front and center. Showgoers can get behind the wheel of a $50,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E or $70,000 Audi e-tron and take them out on adjacent Woodward Avenue for a spin. Mash the pedal and customers gasp at the acceleration.
But the internal combustion engine still powers 98% of U.S. auto sales, and the headline vehicles at Motor Bella are still powered by gas. A lot of gas. Two race tracks are at the periphery of Motor Bella, and the constant roar of Ram TRX pickup’s V-8 is Motor Bella’s soundtrack.
“Now you see it, now you don’t,” blares a big-screen video display as riders experience the super truck’s neck-snapping, 4.5-seconds 0-60 acceleration.
The Ford Bronco vs. Jeep Wrangler war is on in earnest here, with Jeep hauling in tons of dirt and rocks for its 120,000-square-foot off-road track where attendees can experience the extraordinary off-road capabilities of the Wrangler Rubicon.
Not to be outdone, Ford held a news conference and dropped a bomb that the Bronco will gain a tree-chewing, high-horsepower Raptor model. A Bronco ride is on offer in the infield that takes passengers through water, sand and over a 21-foot roller-coaster hill with the best view in Pontiac.
The line for the Bronco ride was a half-hour long, while an adjacent Mach-E experience had no wait on Tuesday. Demand for the Bronco is so high that — at the customer drive experience on Woodward — showgoers must drive another Ford model (Bronco Sport, Explorer, Mach-E) before they can jump into a Bronco.
“I think it’s great — anytime you’re able to drive a product, that’s good,” said John McCandless, the retired national manager of public relations field offices for Toyota Motor Sales. “I love the Jeep outdoor display and the Ford outdoor display.”
Auto shows are an opportunity for startups to break through — Tesla in Detroit in 2015, Rivian in Los Angeles in 2018 — and Motor Bella marks the auto show debut of Bollinger Motors with its B1 SUV and B2 pickup. One of a number of automakers bringing electric trucks to market, the Bollinger pickup stands out for its open front-and-rear bumper — so you can slide longboards the length of the truck.
“Bollinger is excited to be here,” sales director Chet Parsons said. “We are a Detroit company, and doing our first big auto show in Detroit really cements our presence here.”
If Motor Bella was light on CEO-led news conferences (GM President Mark Reuss was at the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island), it was still a stage for celebrities and politicians.
NASCAR star Austin Dillon wowed the GM display with an appearance with the next-gen Chevy Camaro NASCAR. The General is showcasing the intersection between racing and production vehicles — and the 1,000-horsepower GMC Hummer EV.
“The back wheels actually turn, so when you’re driving out of mud, you’re gliding out of it,” Oakland County Executive David Coulter observed. “It’s a very impressive vehicle.”
The $105,595 Hummer also caught the eye of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer who took a tour of the grounds Tuesday. Not to be an auto partisan, she also visited Jeeps’ luxurious Grand Wagoneer before checking out the Ford Bronco and electric F-150 Lightning pickup.
It can’t be an auto show, however, without some political controversy. A single-engine plane towed a banner that read: “General Motors fuels insurrectionists” — the latest move by the progressive political action committee MoveOn attacking GM for donating to lawmakers who voted not to certify the 2020 election results earlier this year.
Motor Bella promises thrills and eye-candy galore for this weekend’s expected 150,000 showgoers (it opens to the public on Thursday). And it promises a way forward in the nation’s pre-eminent auto town: the CEO of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, Rod Alberts, repeatedly signals that a Motor Bella-like event is the future for a reimagined, post-pandemic Detroit auto show.
Reinvention is not an option. Traditional auto shows may still have staying power with folks accustomed to patronizing the familiar. But it’s beyond question that the automakers — the real paying customers who make auto shows possible — long ago decided that auto shows as they’ve been known since the 1990s are relics of a golden age.
There are too many tools available to reach would-be customers, to wow them with the new metal, to spend millions on static auto show stands or press conferences that repeat news released two, three or four weeks earlier to a captive media crowd. Competition is the lifeblood of the auto industry, but competition for media (and public) attention is best avoided.
If Motor Bella is judged a success, it likely will ramp up Metro area competition. Will Motor Bella be folded into the 2022 Detroit auto show downtown? Or will it become a permanent fixture at M1 in Pontiac?
“I can’t think of a better place,” Oakland County Executive Coulter said. “Both Pontiac and, of course, M1 Concourse are very conducive to putting on an outdoor event that people can jump in the car and have a real experience.”
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Daniel Howes is senior editor / business & columnist.
Staff Writers Jordyn Grzelweski, Kalea Hall and Breana Noble contributed.
Tundra transformed: Toyota pickup gains hybrid, coil springs, big screens
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 23, 2021
Built tough. Built high-tech. Built in America.
Like its Detroit Three competitors, the Toyota Tundra pickup has been completely remade for the 2020s. While unable to match its opposition’s breathtaking range of trims and engines (not to mention heavy duty work trucks), the Texas-made pickup is more competitive than ever while offering Toyota’s proven formula of reliability, value and off-road machismo.
Developed with teams in California and Ann Arbor — and assembled in San Antonio — the ’22 model is the first Toyota truck to offer a hybrid powertrain, and only the second to feature a multi-link rear suspension with coil springs.
With aggressive styling, a state-of-the-art digital interior, and rock-chewing TRD Pro model, Tundra is the most competitive tool the Japanese brand has offered. While offering range-topping TRD Pro and Platinum models, the Tundra will likely start in the mid-$30,000s and make a strong value pitch with standard adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, and an all-new, 389-horsepower, 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine replacing its old nail V-8.
“We took a fresh, transformational approach to our truck development and had to rethink many things we’d previously done,” said Senior Vice President for Product Development Mike Sweers, who has been navigator aboard some of Toyota’s ambitious Baja 1000 race entries.
The truck matches innovations found in the current generation of Detroit pickups — Ram-like coil springs, Silverado-like big horizontal dash touchscreen, Ford-like materials bed innovation — while bringing unique Toyota design and powertrain innovation.
Tundra looks like it drove out of a LEGO Technic box with bold, segmented shapes. Its so-called “Technical Muscle” design theme is a sharp departure from the previous, second-generation model’s conservative lines. Following in the footsteps of Toyota and Lexus models that President Akio Toyoda demanded be styled to turn heads, Tundra features deep body scallops and a lantern jaw.
“Our design goal from the beginning was to create the most powerful, rugged and sophisticated looking full-size pickup that will take Tundra to a whole new level,” said Kevin Hunter, president of Toyota’s U.S.-based Calty Design Research.
While Toyota, like Ram, Chevy and GMC, has resisted Ford’s radical turn to aluminum body panels, it nevertheless delivers an unusual, aluminum-reinforced composite bed that Toyota claims will be rust-free without compromising strength. The bed is offered in 5.5, 6.5, and 8.1-foot configurations. They are anchored to two different, four-door Double and CrewMax cabs.
The material light-weighting continues in the tailgate, which loses 20% of its girth while adding a remote drop key-fob feature like Silverado.
Under the bed, the Toyota sits on a multi-link suspension with coil springs (double-wishbone suspension up front). The push to a more SUV-like suspension geometry suggests the Toyota’s ambitions as an aggressive handling truck true to its TRD Pro performance badge. To complement its upgraded suspension, Tundra offers Fox (TRD Pro) and Bilstein (TRD) performance shocks and versatile air suspension for premium trims.
Top grades also offer hydraulic cab mounts for a smoother road ride on the truck’s traditional ladder frame.
At its heart, Tundra is the first full-size pickup to ditch the V-8 engine. The core, twin-turbo V-6 produces a healthy 389 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque — eclipsing the previous-gen, 5.7-liter V-8’s 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque. While other automakers offer V-8 and diesel options, Tundra tries to incorporate attributes of both — torque and fuel efficiency — with the hybrid (Ford offers a similar hybrid).
When married to an electric motor and nickel-metal hydride battery (a Toyota staple even as other manufacturers depend on lithium-ion cells), the i-Force MAX hybrid powertrain lists an impressive 437 ponies and stump-pulling 583 pound-feet of torque that can operate in electric-only mode up to 18 mph. Both are controlled by 10-speed transmissions with towing capacity of 12,000 pounds — an increase of almost 20% (payload is 1,940 pounds).
The inside is wrapped in LEGOland styling with small instrument and 8-inch console screens in the base model before big, 12.3-inch and 14-inch digital screens are optioned like Detroit Three models. Tundra debuts Toyota’s Audio Multimedia system that includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto — as well as current voice recognition cues to wake up the system, like “Hey Toyota.”
Though shy of Ford Raptor and Ram TRX super trucks, the TRD Pro — raised an additional 1.1 inches on its Fox shocks — is aimed at the Ford F-150 Tremor, Ram Rebel and Chevy’s new Silverado ZR2. The beefy hybrid V-6 is the TRD Pro’s standard mill. Other off-road enhancements include underbody armor and all-terrain Falken tires.
Though refreshed in 2014, the Tundra’s core chassis and drivetrain were last changed in 2007.
Taking a page from Ford, Toyota’s Downhill Assist control and CRAWL control settings allow a sort of low-speed, off-road cruise control. In tow mode, the hybrid claims smoother operation thanks to the electric motor.
Tundra is festooned with tow-assist features and multiple camera views — the headliner being a Panoramic View Monitor that uses cameras to display a top-down, 360-degree view of the truck on the 14-inch monitor for better maneuvering. There is no sign, however, that Tundra is trying to keep pace with GM an Ford hands-free driver-assist systems.
The 2022 Tundra will arrive at dealerships later this year. It will be available in SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum, 1794 and TRD Pro grades.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Lucid Air EV sets EV benchmark with 520-mile range
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 18, 2021
The Lucid Air has set a new benchmark for EPA-rated EV range with 520 miles.
Founded by former Tesla engineer Peter Rawlinson, Lucid has been methodically building a Tesla Model S competitor since debuting to much fanfare at the 2017 New York Auto Show. Its promise: to eclipse Tesla as the electric vehicle standard.
The figure blows away Tesla’s 405-mile top range on its Model S and approaches diesel sedan territory. The range is available with the top trim Dream Edition Range model and it doesn’t come cheap, with a price starting at $169,000. The Tesla starts at about $90,000.
“Crucially, this landmark has been achieved by Lucid’s world-leading in-house EV technology, not by simply installing an oversize battery pack,” said Rawlinson. “Our race-proven technology endows Lucid Air with ultra-high efficiency, enabling it to travel more miles from less battery energy.”
The Dream Edition is maximized for efficiency but still boasts a staggering 933 horsepower to go with its long range and executive-size rear seat. It sits alongside the 1,111-horsepower Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance, which is optimized for speed, but still achieved an impressive 471-mile rating. The Lucid claims a dizzying, quarter-mile acceleration time of 9.9 seconds at 144 mph.
The entry-level, 480-horse Air Pure starts at $77,400 and features a single, rear-drive electric motor. The rest of the model line is all-wheel-drive with dual electric motors. The Grand Touring model generates 800 horsepower and achieved an EPA rating of 517 miles.
Lucid deliveries are expected late this year as the Lucid also chases Tesla on sci-fi features like big screen technology and self-driving features. The Silicon Valley-based company manufactures in Arizona and recetnly opened its first gallery showrrom on the east coast in New York City.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: VW bets the (Chattanooga) farm on EVs with the ID.4 SUV
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 18, 2021
Chattanooga, Tenn. — General Motors and Ford aren’t the only automakers in the United States betting the farm on EVs.
Volkswagen has established its U.S. beachhead here in right-to-work Tennessee to build a new generation of electric vehicles starting with the ID.4 SUV. VW is investing $41 billion in electrification over the next five years, with $4.3 billion targeted at the Chattanooga plant that will begin producing ID.4s next year for North America.
EVs make up a sliver of U.S. sales, but the German automaker is all-in, hiring innovative former Cadillac chief Johan de Nysschen to run the show from Chattanooga; building a battery assembly plant; and partnering with Korean battery supplier SKI, which has erected a multi-billion plant across the border in Georgia.
“We’ve got to make it work,” said de Nysschen, the chief operating officer for Volkswagen of America, who built a reputation as a straight shooter in a career that spans Audi, Infiniti and Caddy. “We have burned the bridges behind us.”
VW’s ID.4 and smaller ID.3 already make up 15% of VW’s German sales with heavy government subsidies. VW, like the Detroit automakers, says U.S. taxpayer support is key as it ramps up sales of the ID.4 (the ID.3 is too small for America) as well as a future ID Buzz van and an as-yet-unnamed sedan.
The Detroit News tested an all-wheel-drive, $50,870 version of the ID.4 across southern Tennessee. With its 77 kWh of batteries stored under the cabin, the nimble EV recalled Tesla’s hot-selling Model Y SUV with keyless startup and liquid-smooth acceleration. At the Chattanooga Aquarium, ID.4 turned the heads of a young couple.
“Is that a new electric car?” said one. Automakers think a Millennial generation raised on plug-in smartphones will flock to plug-in cars.
Unlike the Detroit automakers, however, VW is not targeting Tesla with the compact-sized ID.4 — but segment volume sales leaders like the gas-powered Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.
“Toyota and Honda don’t have anything like this,” said Scott Keogh, de Nysschen’s boss who runs VW North America from Herndon, Va.
Keogh expects a $7,500 to 10,000 tax rebate from Congress this year for each EV buyer. Significantly, he expects the rebate will be at the point of sale with no volume cap — a departure from the past, when Congress handed out $7,500 tax credits that could only be realized against an individual’s tax liability. The tax credit was capped at 200,000 sales — a number Tesla and GM long ago eclipsed — but would now be limitless.
Subtract $10,000 from the $50k ID.4 tester and its $40,000 price tag is close to that of a loaded RAV4 Hybrid.
Previous government attempts to encourage U.S. alternative fuels — diesel, ethanol, electric — have struggled. Auto executives are mindful that only Tesla (which accounts for 2 in 3 EV sales in the U.S.) has gotten any traction, even without a tax credit. But Keogh is confident the subsidized ID.4 will be a volume seller.
The News got a tour of the sprawling Chattanooga plant where ID.4 will be built alongside the hulking, gas-powered, three-row Atlas SUV and Atlas Cross Sport. Keogh acknowledges the paradox but says VW must meet market demands today to pay for the transition to VW’s EV plans of tomorrow. It’s a similar business model to that of Detroit automakers with pickup trucks/EVs.
Industry leaders say a confluence of factors has ramped up the pressure for automakers to ditch gas engines: the rise of socialist governments, activist corporations and the continuing decline of lithium battery prices.
Governments are demanding battery-powered vehicles. China, the world’s biggest auto market, is punishing gas engines. So is Europe — and in the U.S., former presidential candidate and socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is leading a historic, $3.5 trillion climate bill that aims to transform the auto and utility sectors to zero-emission.
Regulators in states like California, America’s (and VW’s) biggest auto market, are for the first time dictating which powertrains carmakers must build.,
“Under government EV regulations over the next 10 years, we won’t be able to sell (internal-combustion vehicles),” said Keogh. “We have to invest now.”
Chattanooga roads are largely devoid of EVs. Only 2% of the U.S. market is electric and half of those sales are in politically green California. The V6-powered Atlas SUV is more prevalent here along with other gas-powered SUVs that fill up at $3 a gallon. Automakers point to Norway as the best example of electric adoption — there, EV sales are subsidized by about 50% of sticker, and gas prices are taxed to $8 a gallon.
“I don’t expect American politicians to approve $8-a-gallon gas,” smiles de Nysschen.
Encouraged by activist investors, CEOs like Keogh and GM’s Mary Barra have become vocal on global warming, echoing Democratic Party rhetoric that the planet is in crisis.
“We see it almost every day now. Environmental danger is a focus around the world,” said Keogh. “It is true for every farmer, every fisherman. We will make a difference.”
Corporations across the spectrum are united on this — as well as an unspoken fear they will become targets of government lawsuits to clean up weather-related damage. “(Electrification) will be the biggest transformation in the history of the automobile,” said de Nysschen.
The embrace of such a partisan Democratic issue in Republican-controlled Tennessee would seem to work against Volkswagen. But the automaker has been embraced by Republicans here for bringing thousands of jobs to the state with its sprawling, 3.8-million square foot facility thanks, in part, to its right-to-work status.
The refusal of VW to unionize plants has rankled Democrats and led to two contentious — and failed — UAW campaigns to unionize. Republicans have rallied around VW (and foreign transplants in other states) to oppose Democratic attempts to give EVs produced at unionized plants an added $4,500 tax break.
“The rules have been tilted after we agreed to what the rules were,” said de Nysschen of labor agreements under a new North American free trade deal (USMCA) that gave workers the right to choose union representation.
The Detroit News piloted the ID.4 across 128 miles of hilly Tennessee landscape. But the AWD model’s battery lost 171 miles — or 75% — of predicted range on a 75-degree September day. Come winter, the battery will suffer further in cold conditions.
Such concerns, VW executives say, make the 249-mile range ID.4 a suitable suburban commuter car. They hope Congress’s billions will fund infrastructure to make long-distance trips more viable. Keogh himself uses an ID.4 to commute while his wife’s gas-powered Audi Q7 does trip duty.
After Dieselgate, VW is determined to use ID.4 to remake the company’s image. It also makes sense for the company’s bottom line. Smaller companies don’t have VW’s billions to build new battery plants like Chattanooga. Keogh said licensing that technology to smaller automakers and startups is a business opportunity.
As is battery manufacturing, which is less labor intensive than a gas-powered drivetrain (Keogh expects little labor change on already highly automated assembly lines).
Keogh is confident of VW’s direction but still thinks it will take 30 to 40 years to transition to EVs. After all, the hottest vehicle in VW’s lineup is not the ID.4 but the all-new, gas-driven, $24,190 Taos SUV, which sold more than 7,000 units in July — more than all ID.4 sales in the second quarter.
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.
Payne: Curvaceous Karma makes a sporty plug-in pitch
Posted by Talbot Payne on September 18, 2021
Charleston, W.Va. — The Fisker Karma and Tesla Model S exploded into our lives in 2011. With stunning looks, sci-fi technology, dashing CEOs — even $500 million each in investment from the Obama/Biden administration — the four-door exotics promised a wild ride into the EV future.
But while Tesla soared, Fisker flamed out.
Burdened by a drivetrain and interior that did not match its sexy package, the alluring Karma labored around the dance floor while buyers boogied with the Model S’s Ludicrous acceleration and smart tech. A decade and multiple suitors later, Karma is now married to China’s Wanxiang Group Corp. — founder Henrik Fisker having moved on.
And the Karma GS-6 has finally realized the drivetrain potential to match its looks. Even as corporate elites obsess over a trendy, zero-emissions future, my road trip to West Virginia and back with the plug-in, coal-powered Karma promises a much more livable solution.
To begin with, Mrs. Payne agreed to join me.
After the expected gasp at encountering the Karma for the first time — “Wow, that is a beautiful car!” — she immediately pivoted to: “We’re not taking another electric car on our trip, are we?”
My long-suffering bride is weary of spending road trips sitting in Meijer/Walmart parking lots recharging my Tesla Model 3 (or the occasional Mustang Mach-E or Audi e-tron or EV flavor-of-the-month I get to test). She’d rather be dining with family at the end of our journey than hoofing it to a nearby fast-food joint while the EV sips electrons.
“We’re eating dinner at Arby’s,” she’ll text from a fast charger with a groaning emoji. “Be there soon.”
Rather than try to reinvent the U.S. electric grid, the Karma embraces the inherent benefits of electric and gas power. Let me count the ways:
Electric power. Taking advantage of cheap electricity at home, the GS-6 plug-in charges its 24.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack overnight to 80 miles at 10 cents-per-kWh so you can do daily commutes on battery power alone. Easy, and you don’t have to visit a $3-a-gallon gas station.
Gas power. Want to go road tripping? Karma takes advantage of America’s vast gas station network to fill up on the road and get you to where you’re going without electric range anxiety (or long delays in parking lots). With its energy-dense, 116,090 BTUs per gallon, a gas pump can deliver you 25 miles in 5 seconds. Plug in to a 240-volt charger and it’ll take 2 hours to get 25 miles.
Karma is not the first luxury car to try this, of course. The Cadillac ELR plug-in (based on the Chevy Volt) debuted at the same time as Fisker and Tesla and bit the dust a few years later. It was overpriced at $80,000 compared with the larger, more luxurious startups.
And, like the Fisker Karma, its performance paled compared to peers.
That was enough to doom ELR, but not Karma. Like a siren in Greek mythology, Karma’s stunning looks continued to attract interest.
Penned by Aston Martin designer Fisker, the Karma is widely considered one of the prettiest cars conceived.
China’s Wanxiang rescued her from financial purgatory. Everyone adored her. Heck, even Bob Lutz and Gilbert Villarreal took some Karma chassis and stuffed them with Corvette V-8s.
The low-slung Fisker looks like a four-door Corvette. The long front hood arrives 10 minutes before the cabin, riding on muscular haunches. Like most super sports cars, it’s a pain-in-the neck (literally, I had to cock my 6-foot-5-inch neck every time I got out) to access, but once seated, you feel like the king of the road.
Below decks, Wanxiang has improved the secret sauce.
Massive electric motors propel the rear with 536 horsepower. Zero-60 mph goes by in 4.5 seconds. That’s not bad for a sled that weighs 5,034 pounds — but the real drawback is listening to the 3-cylinder engine bray like an angry mule. At least Karma makes the experience interesting with drag race-style Christmas tree lights in the digital instrument display that count down to launch.
It’s a big step from the former, $96,000 Fisker’s glacial, 5.9 second acceleration (which was slower than a Ford Fusion Sport). That was the result of a 402-horse drivetrain mated to a GM 4-banger (shades of the underpowered Caddy ELR), which Karma has swapped out for the more competent, 1.5-liter BMW turbo. Wainxiang first stuffed this 536-horse upgrade into its 2020 Karma Revero GT.
With instant torque and low center of gravity, Karma enjoyed hustling around a West Virginia test track. But this is a grand tourer, not a track rat. I’m the rare motorhead that will push this diva.
More interesting were the drive modes on my journey to the Mountain State. I mostly cruised in hybrid, SUSTAIN mode — the gas engine acting as a generator for the battery to preserve range. Upon hitting U.S. 35’s twisties, I switched to SPORT mode for maximum system power. Huzzah! Corner exits were a hoot with instant electric torque — the turbo-3 maintaining the torque curve at higher revs.
But maintaining battery reserve takes discipline. After a restroom stop, I forgot to return to SUSTAIN mode and promptly drained the battery to just 12 miles before realizing I was in SPORT mode.
At my West Virginia family’s home, I plugged into the local John Amos coal plant for the night (via 110-volt wall charger) to try and get my 80 miles back. After 12 hours, the battery range indicated 48 miles (from 20% to 65% of charge).
That was enough for a stealthy tour of Charleston in battery-only STEALTH mode — my relatives lounging in the rear bucket seats. They cheered Karma’s instant torque out of stoplight, enjoyed its quiet through city streets.
Tesla’s performance has opened a generation to the possibilities of all-electric powertrains (Karma, too, will be offering an all-electric version of the GS-6). But EVs are inferior to gas engines when it comes to long hauls. Now that the Karma finally has its act together, it can claim the crown as a plug-in halo.
Its $109,100 sticker may be exclusive, but it might inspire a look at more affordable plug-ins. Check out the $40,000 Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 and Hyundai Ioniq plug-ins at your local dealership.
2021 Karma GS-6
Vehicle type: Front-engine, twin-rear electric motor, rear-wheel-drive, four-passenger, series hybrid sports sedan
Price: $85,700, including $1,800 destination fee ($109,100 GS-6L as tested)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph (4.5 sec., Car and Driver); top speed, 125 mph
Weight: 5,043 pounds
Fuel economy: Range, 80 miles battery; 360 miles combined gas-electric
Report card
Highs: Gorgeous figure; three-mode, plug-in diversity
Lows: Tech lags competitors; shouty turbo-3
Overall: 3 stars
Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.