My most excellent source—Deep Burble—recently told me the sad tale of the stillborn sixth-generation Camaro Z/28 that almost was, but never will be. I just had to say something. Yes, friends, Chevrolet was all set to build a follow-up to the absolutely brilliant, Best Driver’s Car winning fifth-gen Camaro Z/28. Now it ain’t. Feeling blue? You haven’t even heard the details.
MotorTrend lifers Scott Evans, Angus Mackenzie, and I have long talked about a so-called “Engine Hall of Fame.” My first ballot all-timer has always been the mighty LS7 7.0-liter V-8 of General Motors fame. First seen in the sixth-gen Corvette Z06, the 505-hp humdinger eventually trickled its way down to the Camaro Z/28. The results were staggering. Quoting me: “But it’s not just a name-brand collection of parts, and the Z/28 is no tuner. It stands as one of absolutely the best track-focused cars in the world.” Guess what? The new one would have [...]
Yes, it’s summer, but we only recently found this winter report tucked between the seat cushions of Guffman, our long-term 2020 Ram 2500 Laramie 4×4. So, we figured we might as well share how the truck spent the colder months in Michigan, where the truck is based with our Detroit staff.
When we ordered Guffman, we didn’t check the box for the Ram 2500 HD‘s $145 Cold Weather Group’s grille cover and block heater. That’s because the truck would live in Detroit, not Yellow Knife, and our oil never turns to Jell-O. But because diesels throw off less waste heat than gas engines (that’s part of their efficiency secret), and because the owner’s manual recommends covering the grille at temperatures below freezing—and also because we happened to sample a Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Duramax that came standard with such a cover—we rang up Mopar and ordered a $120 grille cover.
By comparison with that Silverado’s cover, [...]
Even though Mazda’s MX-5 Miata sports car is lightweight, small, and easy on gas, those environmental positives won’t be enough to save it from the automaker’s eventual pivot to full electrification. But that doesn’t mean the Miata is going anywhere. In a technical briefing for media about the company’s “Medium-Term Technology and Product Policy,” the chief technical officer revealed that the Mazda roadster would be included in plans for lineup-wide electrification by 2030.
The news snuck out via the Kamura News, a Japanese publication that listened in on the briefing call. Mazda plans to be fully electrified—with 25 percent of its models fully battery-electric and the other 75 percent incorporating hybrid or PHEV technology—by 2030, joining many other automakers making similar pledges for roughly the same time in the future.
And Mazda has confirmed the executive wasn’t using the wrong talking [...]
We’re in the midst of a blizzard of 2022 Honda Civic news, and it looks like the flurries will keep on coming until the verdict is rendered on the new Civic Type R—which we’ve really only been able to speculate about so far. But that’s for another time. For today’s slice of the Civic pie we finally have a bit more news on the sporty Si: The sedan body style is making a comeback for the new 11th gen Civic’s Si variant.
Specific details around the Si—like what the powertrain will be, how much power it will make, and if there will be any new trick tech—are still pretty spartan. The last Civic Si relied on a buttery-smooth 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder which we had only one major complaint about: rev hang during shifts. Hopefully Honda will resolve that with the new car. One thing we don’t mind carrying over, of course, is the six-speed manual [...]
We’ve seen and driven the all-new 11th-generation Honda Civic sedan. Now, just as night follows day and controversy follows Elon Musk, the hatchback version of the new-gen 2022 Honda Civic follows the more conventional body style.
First, and most important: Yes, there will be a stick-shift Civic Hatchback, and not just in the entry level models. Three-pedal enthusiasts will be able to get a six-speed manual with either the base 2.0-liter engine or the hot-rod 1.5-liter turbo, the latter in top-of-the-line Sport Touring trim.
With that elephant out of the way, we can talk more about the changes to the new car compared to the suddenly old 10th-generation Honda Civic Hatchback. What struck us first about the 2022 Civic hatch is how smooth and simple the back end looks. The twin spoilers that adorned the old model are gone, and the change makes all the visual difference, emphasizing the new car’s sleek, coupe-like profile.
