Las Vegas, NEVADAMopar or Chevy? Diesel power or electric energy? Battery versus brawn? Old rivalries were made new again at the 2019 SEMA show in Las Vegas, as GM and FCA each breathed new life into a couple of their old trucks.Dedicated to the automotive aftermarket, the SEMA show is jammed with modified vehicles showing off new products. Some of the major automakers get in on the action, creating or commissioning their own builds for the show. This year, that included transforming two trucks a 1962 Chevy C-10 and 1968 Dodge D200.Both drew the crowds, but they were as different as they could be. The Chevy had a couple of electric motors under the hood, while the Dodge went old-school with a diesel. See how they stacked up and which do you prefer?1962 Chevrolet E-10 Chevy changed C-10 to E-10 for what the company dubbed its E-Crate motor, and its basically made by stacking electric motors together and with components from the Bolt electric compact car.The E-10 has a dual-stack system, and GM claims more than 450 horsepower and 470 lb.-ft. of torque at the wheels. Zero to 96 km/h is about five seconds, and the truck is estimated in the high 13-second range for the quarter-mile. But dont expect it to do it silently: theres an emulator on board that churns out the sound of V8 induction and exhaust.A custom truck is more than an engine, and the E-10 has an adjustable air suspension, 20- and 22-inch wheels, illuminated bowtie badges and a digital instrument cluster. The hood and tailgate have been smoothed out, the drip rails have been shaved, and the 62 grille has been replaced with one used in 1964. The E-10 isnt just for show. GM says the E-Crate is a concept but its also a fully-functional prototype that could one day be available to drop into anything that is currently set up for a Chevy LS engine currently (no pun intended) the engine of choice for most hot-rod and custom-car conversions.These next-generation electric motors can be stacked three-high for more than 1,000 horsepower. Right now the E-10s box is taken up with the battery, but the E-Crate can run on a range of 350 to 800 volts, so the battery can be sized for practicality or performance.Mopar Lowliner Concept The Lowliner also has a battery, but its just there to turn over the trucks 5.9-litre Cummins engine. The inline-six is considered legendary by diesel fans, and was first put into a Ram truck in 1989; the Ram brands current 6.7L diesel choice initially appeared in 2007.The 5.9L started with 12 valves but went to 24 valves in 1998, and its the 2-4 thats in this truck now. And heres the best part: the transmission has to be manually shifted through its six gears.The designers started with a 1968 Dodge D200 Sweptline heavy-duty Camper Special that they found in Ohio. They boxed the frame, and in addition to extending the wheelbase, pushed the front axle forward 76 millimetres. An adjustable air suspension on both axles gives it low, driving height, and driving height-plus positions.But while the trucks been lowered, the bed heights been raised by welding in the box floor from a new Ram 1500 and that was done to accommodate the air suspension and the fuel cell.Just about everything on the outside has been customized: the front end flips forward electrically, the handle-free doors open with electric poppers, the badges and chrome have been shaved off, the headlights and taillights are LED, the fuel fillers now mounted in the bed, and the Candied Delmonico red paint has the Mopar M subtly ghosted into the fenders.Take Our Poll The wheels are styled on the smoothie stamped-steel design that was popular in the 1960s, but while those were usually 15 inches, the Lowliner rides on 22s, with wide enough tires that the rear wheel wells have been widened. The interiors done in distressed-look leather, the shifter ball has a Cummins logo, and the original 1968 steering wheel is still in place.Unlike the E-10, which could potentially spin off a production aftermarket conversion, the Lowliner is all about the show. But we like em both, and really like that two old trucks that were already cool have been made even
Origin: Trucks at SEMA 2019: Chevy’s electric vs Dodge’s diesel
Ford recalls more than 30,000 new trucks in Canada over a fire risk
2019 Ford F-150Handout / Ford Ford is recalling more than 30,000 new F-150 trucks in Canada because an improperly attached battery terminal fastener could lead to the engine stalling, the brakes power assistance failing or even to a fire.Some 30,073 F-150s from model years 2019 and 2020 are affected here, as well as about 135,000 units in the U.S. Specifically, the issue is with trucks built between June and October in the Dearborn or Kansas City plants.On affected vehicles, a fastener on the positive terminal of the battery may not be attached properly; if left alone, this could lead to the engine losing power and then stalling, or to the brakes and steering losing their power assistance.While there is also an increased risk of fire, the company has yet to receive any reports of incidents related to this defect. Ford also issued a battery-fastener-related recall on older Lincoln MKX SUVs that may have led to three fires so far.In Canada, that recall concerns 5,253 MKXes from model years 2016 and 2017 equipped with the 3.7-litre V6; and just under 50,000 of the same in the U.S.A fastener on the battery terminals in affected vehicles could short circuit if it contact a transmission cable mechanism, increasing the chance of a fire. Ford says its received three reports of fires likely attributable to the issue, though none resulted in accidents or
Origin: Ford recalls more than 30,000 new trucks in Canada over a fire risk
Ken Block takes his Hoonitruck to China for ‘Climbkhana 2’
You’ve heard of Gymkhana (click here for a primer, if you haven’t) but how about Climbkhana? DC Shoes co-founder and professional rally driver Ken Block is a legend in the drifting communities for his Gymkhana series, which takes beefed-up cars through complex drift courses and creates viral videos about the whole thing. They’ve been at it for nearly a decade. Back in 2017, Block and his Hoonigans took their 1,400-horsepower 1965 Ford Mustang Hoonicorn RTR V2 to Pikes Peak to drift the climb and create the first Climbkhana video. After taking 2018 off, Block is back, this time behind the wheel of his 914-horsepower 1977 Ford F-150 (the one used in Gymkhana 10) tearing along the iconic Heaven’s Gate road that cuts up through Tianmen Mountain National Park. The tire-shredding truck gobbles up the most dangerous road in China’s 99 corners with a seemingly insatiable appetite. Footage shows aerial clips of the truck whipping around hairpin turns, doing donuts around a person in a panda costume riding a hoverboard (because China?) in-truck shots of Block smiling as he shifts down and spins the tires, and corners taken so accurately the back end of the vehicle brushes the barriers. Block caps the performance with a bunch more donuts at the top of the hill, set to the tune of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Over the Mountain.” Appropriate.What a job this guy has,
Origin: Ken Block takes his Hoonitruck to China for ‘Climbkhana 2’
5 things you need to know about the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
LOS ANGELES, California — As if calling an SUV a battery-powered one, at that a Mustang doesnt already foist an uphill challenge on this new model, Fords 2021 Mach-E also has to strip sales away from Tesla, prove to Ford shareholders that there really is a mass market for mid-priced electric vehicles and, at the same time, prepare the ultimate of Ford loyalists F-150 owners for the inevitable electrification of their pickup trucks.Thats a pretty steep ask. Heres how Ford plans to do it, plus some background info you just need to know.Ford was first going to just call it “Mach-E”Rumour round the L.A. Auto Show has it Ford originally tried to build the Mach-E on an existing that should be read gas-powered platform, but the engineers couldnt hit their range and performance targets.CHECK OUT ALL OUR LATEST AUTO SHOW COVERAGESo they made a deal with the devil, asking Fords accountants for more money so they could build a bespoke battery-powered chassis. The tithe exacted by the bean-counters? That they name it Mustang so they could build on the name recognition of probably the most famous Ford of all time. Which explains whyFord wants to move a boatload of its electrified sport bruteThis is no halo vehicle or vanity project. Ford is looking to move some (battery-powered) iron, here. I count, for instance, no less than nine distinct trim levels across the Mach-Es five models Select (available early 2021), Premium (late 2020), First Edition (also late 2020), California Route 1 (early 2021) and GT Performance (spring 2021). Thats a huge number of trims from a company that prides itself on efficient manufacturing. The only way to amortize the cost of that proliferation is to sell boatloads of product, which also explains whyFord is sticking it with impressively aggressive pricingBase (Select trim) Mach-Es will start at $50,495 and, unlike Elons $35,000 Model 3, youll actually be able to buy them at that price from launch. Even the all-singing, all-dancing GT Performance Edition will slip in under $83,000 (yes, these prices are all Canadian).Again, Ford plans to move a bunch of Mach-Es in preparation for what will surely be its real heavy-hitter in the EV world, an electrified F-150. The first two models available the Premium and California Route 1 will start at $59,495 (for the standard-range version of the Premium) and $64,495 (for the Route 1 and its extended-range battery). In between Ford’s offering a vast array of powertrain and battery optionsRunning through the Mach-Es order guide is like feasting at the ultimate of electric vehicle buffets. Want a rear-wheel-drive BEV with a big battery that maximizes range? Mach-Es got the California Route 1. Want an all-wheel-drive with a cheaper battery but better performance? Well, Ford has a Premium SR AWD with your name on it that can scoot to 100 clicks in about five-and-a-half-seconds.Wading through the vast array of options and combinations will make your head spin, so Ill attempt to simplify it all for you. There are basically two battery options: a standard-range (SR) 75.7-kilowatt-hour affair; and an extended-range (ER) 98.8-kWh monster.Combine the extended-range unit with a modestly-powered (282-hp) rear-wheel drivetrain and you have the 475-kilometre California Route 1. Package the same 98.8-kilowatt-hour ER hardware with 459 all-wheel-driving horses and you have the GT Performance with its three-and-a-half-second blitz to 100 kilometres an hour (though range is reduced to 375 km).The Premium, which looks to be the backbone of Fords sales effort, can be had with any combination of long- and short-range battery and rear-wheel- or all-wheel-drive powertrains you want, in 255-, 282- and yet another iteration 332-horsepower guises.Dizzy yet? Like the California, the First Edition (which will exact something of a premium $71,995 for its limited quantities) is only available with the extended-range battery, but drives all four wheels with less urge (332 hp) than the GT Performance, resulting in yet another range rating, this time 425 kilometres.Theres a Mach-E for every purse and purpose, and the only way Ford can do this at these (comparatively) aggressive prices is to sell dealerships full of them. 2021 is going to be very interesting for Fords bottom line.The big question, then, is where Ford will find all the zero-emissions enthusiasts to fill Mach-E seats. Its first course of action duh, look at the name, Dave is obviously loyalists. Now whether this means past patrons of Ford in general or of Mustang in particular is anybodys guess.Certainly branding a sport utility vehicle Mustang when it shares nothing but a grille shape and some taillights with your iconic sports car is a brave that should be read risky move. I do think, however, that while Mustang cognoscenti may prove outraged, current Ford owners looking for their first EV will appreciate the tie-up. Theres no doubt Ford also has Tesla firmly in its sights.
Origin: 5 things you need to know about the 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E
This 25,000-piece Hot Wheels collection is for sale for six figures
When someone is set to splash north of a hundred grand on a car collection, it would be logically assumed at least one of the vehicles in the purchase would be able to move under its own power.Not this time. A collector in Virginia is parting with their entire fleet for US$125,000 and theres not a runner among them.Oh, yeah, did we mention its a Hot Wheels collection?An enormous Hot Wheels collection, to be precise. With the seller asserting there are no duplicates, nearly 25,000 of the toy cars are on offer. Like all good car ads, it contains the holy trinity of classified prose: bad grammar, a claim stating they know what they have, and assurances theyre definitely not parting it out.Spotted on a Hot Wheels collector page on Facebook by the gearheads at Hagerty, the ad contains twenty-six pictures of a mammoth Hot Wheels collection. The toy cars line walls, are neatly stacked on shelves and are displayed on a large dining room table. Asking price is in the US$125,000 ballpark according to the seller, though that sum was tossed out in the ads comment section and not in the advertisement copy itself.Everything looks to be meticulously organized and catalogued, with many of the models bearing a colored sticker dot on their box and others methodically arranged by year hung on enormous pegboards. Its a delightfully psychotic attention to detail.While $125,000 is certainly a lot of cheddar, it seems like a veritable bargain when one considers that collector Bruce Pascal once shelled out over $70,000 for a pre-production prototype Volkswagen Beach Bomb Surf Bus in hot pink. That toys current valuation? About double that amount.Included in the asking price are all the displays, so at least youll have a spot to park all these non-running
Origin: This 25,000-piece Hot Wheels collection is for sale for six figures
News Roundup: Consumer Reports’ most and least reliable, Honda’s many CR-V options and police pull over the weirdest cars
2019 Lexus LS 500Handout Welcome to our weekly round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.Here’s what you missed while you were away.2019’s most and least reliable brands according to Consumer Reports 2019 Mazda CX-5 Signature Al Charest / Postmedia Breaking news! Dodge has landed itself on the top ten list of Consumer Reports’ most reliable brands! That’s a first. Otherwise, the list was not so surprising, with Japan sweeping the top three (Lexus, Mazda and Toyota in that order) and Jeep, VW and Acura elbowing each other for position down at the bottom of the pile. Where does your brand land on the list this year?Anyone want to buy a $90k Corvette for $145,500 on eBay?A selfish Corvette buyer is fishing for suckers online with an ad for a build slot for a 2020 C8 Corvette. The listing is asking for $145,500 for what is, if you were to purchase it directly from the brand, a $90,000 car. Listed as ““BRAND NEW C-8 2020 CORVETTE FOR SALE ALLOCATED PAID FOR 1ST WAVE EARLY RELEASE,” the car is basically just a standard 1LT trim C8 with the free white paint, free silver wheels, $100 mirrors, US$5,000 Z51 package and less than $10,000 worth of other options. Do the math. Don’t buy the car. Honda’s CR-V gets lots of new options for 2020Honda has freshened up its popular SUV for 2020, giving shoppers even more options for trims and some new options like Remote Engine Start and heated front seats at the base level of the CR-V. The exterior gets a bit of a facelift, too, with some Civic-esque tweaks, two new colour options and 19-inch wheels. All models will run with a 1.5-litre turbo four. Pricing starts at $28,690 for the base model, which is exactly $1,000 more than last year’s. These are the strangest vehicles to ever be pulled over by policeAn electric three-wheeler homemade from balsa wood and duct tape. A couch on wheels capable of travelling over 140 km/h. A bumper car with another bumper car being pulled beside it, armstrong-style. These are a few of the most surprising vehicles to get pulled over by police. The couch got a ticket, but balsa-wood trike did not. Check out the full list here. Gone in 60 Seconds ‘Eleanor’ Mustang likely to fetch over US$1 million at auctionThe “Dream Car,” or the main ride of the 11 Mustangs used in the 2000 Nicolas Cage film Gone in 60 Seconds, is scheduled to head to auction in January 2020. And based on the sale of the last, less-of-a-star ‘Eleanor’ Mustang, which sold for US$1 million, this Shelby-inspired 1967 Ford will likely fetch more than the sum of the entire film budget of the original 1974 cut of the film. The movie car will go under the hammer at the Mecum auction in Kissimmee, Florida in January 2020. LISTEN: Toyota has led the hybrid charge for two decades, and as Toyota Canada’s Stephen Beatty tells Plugged In host Andrew McCredie, is now all-in on EVs, particularly fuel cell vehicles. The company’s vice president also has some interesting things to say about some provinces’ push to create electric vehicle sales quotas for 2030, and tells us about Toyota’s fascinating, and potentially game-changing, work with Quebec to produce green hydrogen. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click
Origin: News Roundup: Consumer Reports’ most and least reliable, Honda’s many CR-V options and police pull over the weirdest cars
Quick Spin: 2020 Dodge Journey
2020 Dodge Journey CrossroadJil McIntosh The Dodge Journey is that old guy in the back corner of the accounting department. Hes been around so long that nobody knows when he started, and you keep expecting him to retire or be replaced and yet he soldiers on.Weve been promised an all-new Journey a few times, but the 2020 model is still basically unchanged from when it first hit the pavement in 2009. Youre getting older technology, but youre also getting it at a starting price thats lower than most other three-row crossovers.Although five trim levels were offered for 2019, the Journey shrinks to just two for 2020. Thats usually indicative of impending retirement, and my money is on it being dropped in favour of the upcoming Chrysler Voyager, a bargain-basement version of the Pacifica thats likely to knuckle aside both the Journey and the aging Dodge Grand Caravan. The Journey will now come only as the Canada Value Package and Crossroad. Pricing hasnt been announced for 2020, but for 2019, those two trim levels start at $24,145 and $34,945 respectively. I took the Crossroad for a quick spin at an event earlier this year.Both models are powered by a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine that makes 172 horsepower and 165 lb.-ft. of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. The Journeys previously-optional larger engine, the brilliant 3.6L Pentastar V6 making 283 horsepower, wont be offered. The V6 was required to order all-wheel-drive, so you guessed it the 2020 Journey powers only its front wheels. That keeps the price down, but with AWD so popular among Canadian buyers, its going to further limit the Journeys appeal.The smaller engine has lacklustre acceleration, although it works fine and is fairly quiet once youre up to speed. The steering is light and visibility is good key for a van thats likely to spend a lot of time running errands and fitting into tight parking spots. The Crossroad has a touring suspension, and the ride is smooth; the Canada Value Package, which I didnt drive, is listed as normal-duty and so I expect will let a few more road imperfections up into the cabin. Theres not as much interior space as in a full-size minivan, but the Journeys roomier inside than you might expect for its footprint. Its fine when youre putting small children in the back, although theyll likely outgrow it if you keep the vehicle long enough. Both rows are easy to fold down for a flat cargo floor.The Canada Value Package comes with a few niceties, including air conditioning, keyless entry with push-button start, heated mirrors, a backup camera and park assist, and oddly enough, an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The Crossroad adds 19-inch wheels, LED taillamps, three-zone automatic climate control, a sunroof, and FCAs Uconnect infotainment with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, plus leather upholstery and under-floor storage bins in the second row. There will also be option packages for both, with some of the Crossroads items available on the Canada Value Package, and for the upper trim, heated seats and steering wheel, garage door opener, premium speakers, navigation, and rear-seat DVD system. Connectivity is limited, though, with neither Apple CarPlay nor Android Auto available.The Journeys competitors are better vehicles, and anyone who buys it is shopping on price alone but there are a lot of families on a budget. This Dodge gets them from A to B with decent interior space for a relatively low price, at least at the entry level. How long itll stick around is anyones guess, but for 2020 at least, theres still some life in the Journeys aging
Origin: Quick Spin: 2020 Dodge Journey
BMW i4 details revealed
BMW i4 details revealed A range of more than 370 miles is likely from the new i4 BMW has announced details of its forthcoming i4 – a pure-electric four-door coupe due in 2021. It will feature the company’s next generation electric powertrain, enabling a range of around 370 miles on a charge. The fifth-generation systems are set to debut on next year’s iX3, and will then appear on the i4. BMW is pitching its next pure-electric models at the core range – the 3/4 Series for the i4, and the SUV equivalent in the iX3. Power from the electric motors in the i4 comes in at 390 kW (530 hp) which is equivalent to the current V8 available in the similar ranges. As such, performance will be more than brisk, with the 0-62mph time completed in around 4.0 seconds. The battery is roughly 80 kWh in capacity, promising an efficient set-up considering the Ford Mustang Mach-E launched recently achieves a similar range but from almost 100 kWh. Ultra-rapid charging will be possible at 150 kW, allowing a top-up to 80% in a bit over half an hour. All figures are approximates so far, as more precise technical specifications are yet to be confirmed. In terms of rivals, the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 will be the closest of those models currently known about, both in terms of driving range and likely price.
Origin: BMW i4 details revealed
A Ford GT40 replica that starred in ‘Ford v Ferrari’ is heading to auction
Are you a gearhead with a few extra barrels of money taking up space in the basement? Well, the crew at Mecum Auctions has just the car for you.As one of two replica Ford GT40s finished in this livery for use in the James Mangolds new film Ford v Ferrari, this beautiful machine is the Ken Miles hero car driven by Christian Bale during filming.Built at Rich MacDonalds Superformance Facility in California, this isnt your typical movie car thats been hacked to pieces before being rode hard and put away wet.MacDonalds incredible attention to detail is truly astonishing, making it easy to explain why this car was the one that provided the movie magic GT40 close-ups in the film. In what is surely one of the most legendary examples of self-confidence, MacDonalds shop built the car before they had even been selected to provide the vehicles for the movie.Powered by a specially prepared Roush V8 built to 511 cubes, this movie monster cranks out 600 horsepower thanks in no small part to kit like a KN Inglese-style injection system and an jaw-droppingly gorgeous rear-exit bundle of snakes exhaust. All this sends power through a five-speed manual transaxle, meaning youll be saving the manuals while being a total baller.Slathered in that iconic Gulf Blue, it features a pressed steel roof and a unibody structure constructed of electro-galvanized steel. Independent suspenders are installed front and rear, with unequal-length A-arms up front, Bilstein shocks with HR springs at both ends, and trailing arms out back.The car is also signed by Ken Miles 1966 crew chief and Ken Miles son, Peter. This hero car has seen plenty of screen time beyond the movie and its trailers, appearing at various red carpet events alongside the stars of the film. Short of an original GT40 racecar, provenance doesnt get much better than that.Itll be on the block at Mecums event in Kissimmee next
Origin: A Ford GT40 replica that starred in ‘Ford v Ferrari’ is heading to auction
The last front-engined Chevrolet Corvette just rolled off the line
A moment of silence, please: Chevrolet has built its very last front-engined C7 Corvette. The historic vehicle rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green, Kentucky yesterday.GM was surprisingly low-key about it, sending out only a lone tweet instead of a press release. The last one was a black 2019 Z06, powered by a 650-horsepower 6.2-litre V8 engine, sold long before it was built.It was offered last June at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction and brought US$2.7 million dollars, with the winning bid benefiting the Stephen Siller Foundation charity. It was the highest price paid at a Barrett-Jackson auction for a vehicle donated by an automaker. The money went to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which builds accessible, mortgage-free homes for injured military veterans, and helps pay off mortgages of families of first responders killed in the line of duty.Some endings are bittersweet. The last #Corvette C7 – the end of an era – rolled off the line today. It was previously auctioned for $2.7 million with proceeds going to building smart homes for veterans. pic.twitter.com/3NU7gWWbc6 Chevrolet (@chevrolet) November 15, 2019With the end of C7 production, the plant can now begin to build the mid-engine C8 Corvette, with a starting price in Canada between $69,998 and $85,398 across its three trim lines.The C8 marks the first time a Corvettes engine has been anywhere but under the hood since the sports car was introduced for 1953. The Bowling Green plant, which has made more than one million Corvettes since production started there in 1981, is the only factory that makes the
Origin: The last front-engined Chevrolet Corvette just rolled off the line
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