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The novel coronavirus is halting countless automotive events around the world, but it’s not stopping Barrett-Jackson from holding an online auction later this month. Arguably one of the most interesting cars for sale is this NASCAR Chevrolet Monte Carlo originally driven by Dale Earnhardt. Proceeds from the sale will benefit COVID-19 relief efforts.

Bearing chassis number 22, the car comes directly from the collection of NASCAR team owner Richard Childress. In fact, the upcoming sale marks the first time Childress will part ways with one of his original Earnhardt cars. One notable victory Earnhardt made in this particular car was at Rockingham Speedway in 1996. Through 1999, Earnhardt and his NASCAR Chevys were ones to watch on tracks such as Bristol Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, and Darlington Raceway. While Earnhardt’s driving aided his racing success, his tube-frame stock car’s 358-cubic-inch V-8 engine and four-speed manual transmission certainly played a part, too.

Jost Capito has accomplished an admirable list of successes in his 36-year career. The head of Volkswagen’s R performance brand spent his younger years racing motorcycles before attending the Technical University of Munich. With his competitive racing background and engineering degree, Capito’s talents afforded him opportunities to develop legendary road-going performance vehicles at companies such as BMW, Ford, and Porsche. He also took leading roles at factory-backed racing outfits, such as the Sauber Formula 1 team and Volkswagen Motorsport division. We spoke with Capito, who shared his thoughts on his past, present, and future work.

How has your motorsports background helped you develop road-going performance cars?

I had my first enduro race on my 16th birthday. I got the driving license at 3:00 a.m., and I started racing at 8:00 a.m. Then in ’85 and ’86, I did the Dakar Rally with my father in a Unimog. We won the truck category in ’85. I’m [...]

Question: What’s the longest-running nameplate in the history of Mercedes-Benz? Answer: the SL, going all the way back to the W194 from 1952. You’d be forgiven, though, for thinking the two-seater, big-dollar roadster was no longer around.

Overshadowed by both the soon-to-be-discontinued S-Class Cabriolet and the AMG GT Roadster, the current-generation, ugly-is-bone-deep R231 SL has been a major sales disappointment for the men and women behind the three-pointed star. Only 1,791 people loved this underwhelming GT enough to buy one in 2019. Toyota sells more Land Cruisers. But fear not, Super-Leicht faithful, help in the form of a new SL is arriving next year.

Billed as the 2022 SL, the new convertible will be on sale by the latter half of 2021 and will be given the internal designation of R232. Returning to the model’s roots, we expect the SL to be much sportier than the current luxo-barge.

If you were diligently waiting for the Supra’s hype to die down, your patience has paid off. Just less than a year after launching the A90 Toyota GR Supra, the automaker has already made big changes to the 2021 year-model, including important changes that impact the sports car’s performance. From the first-ever four-cylinder Supra GR 2.0 to arrive on our shores to a more powerful inline-six in the Supra GR 3.0, there’s plenty of things to be excited about with the 2021 Supra. Features editor Christian Seabaugh and I drove both Supras, and although our opinions differ as to which Supra we’d get, we both acknowledge that the new model is a far more compelling product than the 2020. So, if you’re thinking about getting a Supra soon, wait for the 2021 models to arrive.

With America’s appetite for crossovers and SUVs veering off the top of the charts, it’s getting harder and harder to find a “real” off-road-capable 4×4 SUV. Many, but not all, new SUVs have some ability to send the engine’s power to all four wheels, but that doesn’t mean they have true 4×4 or four-wheel-drive (4WD) capability. Technical director Frank Markus explains the difference between all-wheel drive (AWD) and 4WD here. Meanwhile, here are the best 4×4 SUVs you can buy today.

Well, you can’t exactly buy one today, but the highly anticipated Ford Bronco 4×4 SUV is scheduled to return late this year. What we know: It’s expected to be a body-on-frame challenge to the Jeep Wrangler and to be an immensely capable off-roader. Based on the next-generation Ford Ranger midsize pickup, we anticipate the 2021 Ford Bronco to come standard with four-wheel drive and [...]