Quick Stats: Billy Dee Williams, actor Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Daily Driver: 2017 Mercedes-AMG C43 (Billy’s rating: 10 plus on a scale of 1 to 10)
Other cars: See below
Favorite road trip: to Malibu
Car he learned to drive in: 1956 Buick Special
First car bought: 1966 Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III
Billy Dee Williams finally got around to updating his 1984 Jeep Grand Wagoneer recently, because it turns out Lando Calrissian needs his GPS. That was one of the main reasons Williams wanted to redo his now-classic Jeep.
“The Wagoneer back in those years was pretty popular … and it was just very well built and it rides beautifully,” he tells MotorTrend. “I’ve taken it on long trips and it’s a great ride. Like from Los Angeles to San Diego, it’s a really nice drive. I don’t travel that much in cars anymore. I don’t like the freeway, to tell you the [...]
Woe is you; the Range Rover Sport captivates, but sifting through six engine options intimidates. Well, MotorTrend is here to help. Adding to our extensive experience reviewing Range Rover Sports, we recently spent time in a near-400-hp mild hybrid model that surprised at the test track. With the 2020 Range Rover Sport lineup offering everything from a relatively frugal diesel and plug-in hybrid to an absurd 575-hp V-8, where do the new P360 and P400 mild hybrid six-cylinder models fit in?
Realizing that even non-greenies can appreciate SUVs that go longer between fill-ups, Land Rover expands its Range Rover and Range Rover Sport lineup with P360 and P400 mild hybrids (the latter only available in the HST trim). With a turbocharged inline-six supplemented by electric boost, the powertrain is mated to an eight-speed automatic and is good for 355 and 395 hp, respectively. Just as important, the system’s peak torque comes at just 2,000 rpm [...]
Though you could call Ford’s decision to kill off every one of its cars besides the Mustang shortsighted, the automaker at least kept the nameplate with the richest history—and they’re not about to let anyone forget that. The words Shelby and Mustang have been linked since the early 1960s, and they’ve both adorned countless cars over the years. Today, the Blue Oval announced the most recent addition to its storied Shelby Mustang family tree. Meet the 2020 Shelby GT350 (and GT350R) Heritage Edition.
Built to, you guessed it, celebrate the Shelby Mustang’s heritage, it’s finished in Wimbledon White paint and features Guardsman Blue racing stripes—the classic Shelby racing livery, which looks fantastic. Why Ford doesn’t offer this color combo normally is beyond us.
The paint job and tape jobs mirror the look of the original Shelby GT350. The car comes to celebrate the 55th anniversary of Ken Miles [...]
One of the hottest-selling SUVs in the country is back, and its maker is tired—tired—of competitors muscling in on its turf.
Redesigned for 2020, the new Toyota Highlander demands your attention with exactly the same formula it’s used for almost two decades—wait, that’s not right. Actually, the 2020 Toyota Highlander builds on its winning formula with more than just comfort, convenience, and a reputation for reliability. The three-row family hauler boasts improvements that should attract more buyers in the segment. But can it challenge the popular Ford Explorer and SUV of the Year–winning Kia Telluride? Here’s what you need to know.
The 2020 Highlander rides on a new advanced platform, but what really encapsulates this new family hauler is a revised storage tray. Yes, really.
First off, don’t knock it ’til you’ve lived with it—and my sister has. The look of that decidedly unalluring tray put her off during a test drive, but the slim [...]
Porsche is betting big on the Taycan. Make no mistake, Taycan is more than just greenwash, more than just a hastily improvised mea culpa for the Volkswagen Group’s dieselgate shenanigans. Porsche is spending more than a billion dollars to bring its first electric sports car to market, almost $800 million of that on a dedicated new factory.
The Porsche Taycan factory has been wedged in and among various existing buildings at Porsche’s main plant in Zuffenhausen, Germany. Clearing the site alone cost more than $50 million, making it a more expensive option than simply expanding the newer production facility at Leipzig, in the eastern part of the country, where the Macan and Panamera are built.
Spending the money at Zuffenhausen was a deliberate decision, says Taycan production specialist David Thor Tryggvason, who points out the site is the symbolic heart of Porsche, where the [...]
