Cars

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Boeing will build the US Air Force’s next air superiority fighter

Boeing, Cars / /

Today, it emerged that Boeing has won its bid to supply the United States Air Force with its next jet fighter. As with the last fighter aircraft design procurement in recent times, the Department of Defense was faced with a choice between awarding Boeing or Lockheed the contract for the Next Generation Air Dominance program, which will replace the Lockheed F-22 Raptor sometime in the 2030s.

Very little is known about the NGAD, which the Air Force actually refers to as a “family of systems,” as its goal of owning the skies requires more than just a fancy airplane. The program has been underway for a decade, and a prototype designed by the Air Force first flew in 2020, breaking records in the process (although what records and by how much was not disclosed).

Last summer, the Pentagon paused the program as it reevaluated whether the NGAD would still meet its needs and whether it could afford to pay for the plane, as well as a new bomber, a new early warning aircraft, a new trainer, and a new ICBM, all at the same time. But in late December, it concluded that, yes, a crewed replacement for the F-22 was in the national interest.

While no images have ever been made public, then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in 2024 that “it’s an F-22 replacement. You can make some inferences from that.”

The decision is good news for Boeing’s plant in St. Louis, which is scheduled to end production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2027. Boeing lost its last bid to build a fighter jet when its X-32 lost out to Lockheed’s X-35 in the Joint Strike Fighter competition in 2001.

A separate effort to award a contract for the NGAD’s engine, called the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion, is underway between Pratt & Whitney and GE Aerospace, with an additional program aiming to develop “drone wingmen” also in the works between General Atomics and Anduril.

Boeing will build the US Air Force’s next air superiority fighter Read More »

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Racer with paraplegia successfully test drives Corvette with hand controls

Accessibility, Cars, Motorsport, paraplegia, Robert Wickens / /

Able-bodied co-driver Milner will use the Corvette GT3.R’s regular pedals when he drives, with the hand controls engaged when Wickens is in the car. The new hand controls are mounted to the steering wheel column, where otherwise you’d find a spacer between the column and multifunction steering wheel. There are paddles on both sides that operate the throttle, and a ring that engages the brakes.

The road-going Corvette C8 uses brake-by-wire, and Bosch has developed an electronic brake system for motorsport applications, which is now fitted to DXDT’s Corvette. Wickens actually used the Bosch EBS in the last two Pilot Challenge races of last year, but unlike the Corvette, the Elantra did not have a full brake-by-wire system.

Robert Wickens explains how his hand controls work.

“When I embarked on this journey of racing with hand controls, I was always envisioning just that hydraulic sensation with my hands, on applying the brake. And, yeah, everyone involved, they made it happen,” Wickens said. Adding that sensation has involved using tiny springs and dampers, and Wickens likened the process of fine-tuning that to working on a suspension setup for a race car, altering spring rates and damper settings until it felt right.

“You know, the fact that I was just straight away comfortable; frankly, internally, I was concerned that [it] might take me a little bit to get up to speed, but thankfully that wasn’t the case so far. There’s obviously still a lot of work to be done, but so far, I think the signs are positive,” he said.

“I think the biggest takeaway I have so far is that it feels like the Bosch EBS and the hand control system that was developed by Pratt Miller it was like it belonged in this car,” he said. “There hasn’t been a single hiccup. It feels like… when they designed the Z06 GT3, it was always in the plan, almost? It’s just looks like it belongs in the car. It feels like it belongs in the car.”

Racer with paraplegia successfully test drives Corvette with hand controls Read More »

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A tough race for the rookies as F1 starts 2025 in Australia

Cars, Formula 1 / /

Williams’ Alex Albon scored a fine fifth for the storied team. The preseason vibes for Williams were correct—after a few years of being one of—if not the—slowest, it now looks to be leading the midfield. And Racing Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda demonstrated that he probably should have been promoted to the Red Bull team with a fine 5th place in qualifying that sadly did not translate to points in the race.

The Sauber team, which becomes Audi next year, appeared dreadful in Bahrain but arrived in Oz with some new bodywork, including a revised front wing. That helped Nico Hulkenberg finish seventh, scoring more points in the process than the Swiss-based team managed across all 24 races last year.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 16: Alexander Albon of Thailand driving the (23) Williams FW47 Mercedes leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Scuderia Ferrari SF-25 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Australia at Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit on March 16, 2025 in Melbourne, Australia.

Albon drove a great race to fifth place. Credit: James Sutton – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images

Better luck in China

It was a much harder day for some, including most of the rookies. Racing Bull’s new driver, Isack Hadjar, was caught out on the formation lap by differing grip conditions between the asphalt and painted lines on what are public roads for most of the year. Cleaning up the crash delayed the start by 15 minutes as a distraught Hadjar made his way back to the pits to watch the race unfold without him. After he barely lost out on the F2 title at the end of last year when his car stalled at the start, one hopes he can put his last couple of races behind him.

Alpine’s Jack Doohan, Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto (who beat Hadjar to the F2 championship last year), and Red Bull’s Liam Lawson (who sort of still counts as a rookie) also each ended their days prematurely after crashing out, but so too did former world champion Fernando Alonso and last year’s race winner Carlos Sainz. That two such experienced drivers also got caught out should bring some comfort to the four youngsters.

It was also a rough start to Lewis Hamilton’s tenure at Ferrari. The seven-time world champion and his new race engineer were developing their working relationship in real time, and Hamilton bristled at the constant suggestions from the pit wall. It was an underwhelming day in general for Ferrari, which only finished 8th (Leclerc) and 10th (Hamilton).

Isack Hadjar crashed out of the Australian Grand Prix before it even happened. Kym Illman/Getty Images

The sport returns next weekend in China.

A tough race for the rookies as F1 starts 2025 in Australia Read More »

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Used Tesla prices tumble as embarrassed owners look to sell

Cars, Tesla, used ev prices / /

Similarly, one should take with a pinch of salt a website offering to steal Teslas from owners who are unable to find a buyer themselves.

According to data from Car Gurus, used Tesla prices have fallen twice as fast (-3.7 percent) as the wider car market (-1.5 percent) over the last 90 days. Year over year, used Tesla prices are down 7.5 percent, compared to 2.8 percent for the market as a whole. And that’s on top of steep depreciation caused by a series of new car price cuts over the past few years, as well as rental car companies and other companies disposing of fleets of Teslas en masse.

The Model 3 has been on sale longer than the Model Y, and you’d expect the older cars to have depreciated more. Indeed, the average price of a 2017 Model 3 is just under $20,000 now. But even recent model years are shedding value rapidly—a model-year 2022 Model 3 is worth just $25,000 on average.

Model Y prices have decreased by a greater degree, although the higher MSRP and younger age of the Y mean prices haven’t dropped quite as far as the 3, yet. But CarGurus has seen between 16–21 percent drops for each model year of the Model Y, year over year.

CarGurus isn’t the only one to notice this trend, either. According to its data, iSeeCars says used Teslas have dropped by 13.6 percent, year over year. The Models 3, Y, and S were all in its top four EVs for depreciation, although top place went to the Porsche Taycan (which might be starting to look like a bargain).

For its part, Tesla has been trying to boost its image with the help of President Trump. On Monday, the president took to the South Lawn of the White House to promote Tesla’s cars, apparently buying one despite having campaigned on an explicitly anti-electric vehicle platform.

Used Tesla prices tumble as embarrassed owners look to sell Read More »

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Despite everything, US EV sales are up 28% this year

Cars, EV adoption / /

With all the announcements from automakers planning for more gasoline and hybrid cars in their future lineups, you’d think that electric vehicles had stopped selling. While that might be increasingly true for Tesla, everyone else is more than picking up the slack. According to analysts at Rho Motion, global EV sales are up 30 percent this year already. Even here in the US, EV sales were still up 28 percent compared to 2024, despite particularly EV-unfriendly headwinds.

Getting ahead of those unfriendly winds may actually be driving the sales bump in the US, where EV sales only grew by less than 8 percent last year, for contrast. “American drivers bought 30 percent more electric vehicles than they had by this time last year, making use of the final months of IRA tax breaks before the incentives are expected to be pulled later this year,” said Charles Lester, Rho Motion data manager.

With the expected loss of government incentives and the prospect of new tariffs that will add tens of thousands of dollars to new car prices, now is probably a good time to buy an EV if you think you’re going to want or need one.

Perhaps surprisingly, growth in the much more EV-tolerant European Union was barely higher, at 29 percent for the year to date, helped by a new tax on plug-in hybrid weight in France, Rho Motion says. Both Germany and the UK EV markets have grown by 40 percent this year.

China is speeding past the rest of the world in terms of electrifying its transportation, and unsurprisingly it comes out on top in Rho Motion’s data, with 35 percent growth for the year to date compared to 2024. Looking month by month shows an even more impressive 73 percent increase year over year, thanks to where the lunar new year fell in 2024 and 2025.

Despite everything, US EV sales are up 28% this year Read More »

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BEVs are better than combustion: The 2025 BMW i4 xDrive40 review

BMW i4 xDrive40, car review, Cars / /

But it’s not really fair to compare yesterday’s 430i with this i4 xDrive40; with 395 hp (295 kW) and 442 lb-ft (600 Nm) on tap and a $62,300 MSRP, this EV is another rung up the price and power ladders.

The i4 uses BMW’s fifth-generation electric motors, and unlike most other OEMs, BMW uses electrically excited synchronous motors instead of permanent magnets. The front is rated at 255 hp (190 kW) and 243 lb-ft (330 Nm), and the rear maxes out at 308 hp (230 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm). They’re powered by an 84 kWh battery pack (81 kWh usable), which on 18-inch wheels is good for an EPA range of 287 miles (462 km).

Our test car was fitted with 19-inch wheels, though, which cuts the EPA range to 269 miles (432 km). If you want a long-distance i4, the single-motor eDrive40 on 18-inch wheels can travel 318 miles (511 km) between charges, according to the EPA, which offers an interesting demonstration of the effect of wheel size and single versus dual motors on range efficiency.

A BMW i4 wheel

There’s a new design for the 19-inch M Aero wheels, but they’re part of a $2,200 package. Credit: Jonathan Gitlin

It’s very easy to switch between having the car regeneratively brake when you lift the throttle (in B) or just coast (in D), thanks to the little lever on the center console. (Either way, the car will regeneratively brake when you use the brake pedal, up to 0.3 G, at which point the friction brakes take over.) If you needed to, you could hit 62 mph (100 km/h) in 5.1 seconds from a standstill, which makes it quick by normal standards if not by bench racers. In practice, it’s more than fast enough to merge into a gap or overtake someone if necessary.

During our time with the i4, I averaged a little worse than the EPA numbers. The winter has been relatively mild as a result of climate change, but the weather remained around or below freezing during our week with the i4, and we averaged 3.1 miles/kWh (20 kWh/100 km). Interestingly, I didn’t notice much of a drop when using Sport mode, or much of a gain using Eco mode, on the same 24-mile mix of city streets, suburban arteries, and highways.

BEVs are better than combustion: The 2025 BMW i4 xDrive40 review Read More »

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Yes, you get used to the grille: The 2025 BMW 430i Gran Coupe review

BMW 430i Gran Coupe, car review, Cars / /

Back in 1995, a 430i badge would have meant that BMW had a 3.0 L engine. But this 430i makes do with just 2.0 L and four cylinders under the hood, albeit with a turbocharger. Output is 255 hp (190 kW) and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm), which in this case is sent to all the wheels—xDrive in BMW-speak—via an eight-speed transmission.

In the frosty and below-freezing winter temperatures, I averaged 28 mpg (8.4 L/100 km), one down on the car’s official EPA combined economy. Perhaps the engine’s 48 V mild hybrid system helped minimize the loss due to cold weather, which, yes, affects gasoline-powered cars, too.

Another downside to a diet that’s mostly electric cars is that you very quickly get used to that immediate throttle response. Even the best naturally aspirated engines can’t quite replicate that—not even the ones BMW has made in the past. Even though the turbocharger’s torque plateau arrives at just 1,600 rpm, it’s better to just be a bit relaxed about the whole thing. I found the automatic eight-speed a little too jerky in Sport mode, anyway.

A BMW 430i Gran Coupe seen from behind

Credit: Jonathan Gitlin

Among other minor grumbles, the brake pedal had too little bite for the first half-inch of travel and then too much bite for the next. And the steering wheel rim is too fat, a problem that has afflicted BMW for far too long. But they are minor complaints, and ones that hardly ruin the driving experience. While it’s more of a cruiser than a canyon carver, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. No one said that “ultimate driving machine” had to mean the fastest thing around a track, and for day-to-day driving, being in the 430i was a pleasant place to have to sit.

At $51,200, the 430i xDrive Gran Coupe looks relatively well-priced by the standards of 2025. But unlike the Korean or Japanese luxury brands, you will be expected to pay more if you want all the bells and whistles—our test car came in at $61,125 with options and delivery fee. Some might be superfluous—I’m not sure I’d spend $1,700 on the driving assists, or $2,500 on the M Sport package, but the top-down, 360-degree parking cameras are worth the $700 option, and the driver and infotainment display (part of the $1,650 premium package) lifts the in-car experience.

If all that sounds interesting but the internal combustion engine is a deal-breaker, check back tomorrow when we review the very closely related and even longer-named BMW i4 xDrive40 Gran Coupe (19-inch wheels).

Yes, you get used to the grille: The 2025 BMW 430i Gran Coupe review Read More »

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Maserati kills electric version of MC20 supercar for lack of demand

Cars, Maserati MC20 / /

Electric motors are, in so many ways, much better than internal combustion engines. They don’t waste most of the energy you put into them as heat and sound, they’re easy to control, and they make huge amounts of torque almost instantly. Having recently driven BMW’s 430i and i4 back to back over the course of two weeks, the electric version was easier in traffic and more responsive on a twisty road. Electric wins, then. Except at the very high end, it seems.

Because even though electric motors can pack a punch, people paying big money for super- and hypercars are increasingly disinterested in those cars being electrified. So much so that Maserati has canceled the all-electric version of the MC20.

The MC20 debuted in 2020. No longer associated with Ferrari after that brand was spun out and IPO’d, the MC20 could offer a full carbon-fiber monocoque and an engine with very clever F1-derived combustion technology, undercutting its now-independent Italian competitor to the tune of more than $100,000 in the process.

Maserati kills electric version of MC20 supercar for lack of demand Read More »

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Volkswagen gets the message: Cheap, stylish EVs coming from 2026

affordable EVs, Cars, ID. EVERY1, Volkswagen / /

A surprise find in my inbox this morning: news from Volkswagen about a pair of new electric vehicles it has in the works. Even better, they’re both small and affordable, bucking the supersized, overpriced trend of the past few years. But before we get too excited, there’s currently no guarantee either will go on sale in North America.

Next year sees the European debut of the ID. 2all, a small electric hatchback that VW wants to sell for less than 25,000 euros ($26,671). But the ID. 2all isn’t really news: VW showed off the concept, as well as a GTI version, back in September 2023.

What is new is the ID. EVERY1, an all-electric entry-level car that, if the concept is anything to go by, is high on style and charm. It does not have a retro shape like a Mini or Fiat 500—VW could easily have succumbed to a retread of the Giugiaro-styled Golf from 1976 but opted for something new instead. The design language involves three pillars: stability, likability, and surprise elements, or “secret sauce,” according to VW’s description.

The ID. EVERY1 is the antithesis of the giant SUVs and trucks that have come out of Detroit these past few years.

“The widely flared wheelarches over the large 19-inch wheels and the athletic and clearly designed surfaces of the silhouette ensure stability,” said VW head of design Andreas Mindt, confirming the inability of modern designers to stay away from huge wheels.

“The slightly cheeky smile at the front is a particularly likable feature. A secret sauce element is the roof drawn in the middle, usually seen on sports cars. All these design elements lend the ID. EVERY1 a charismatic identity with which people can identify,” Mindt said.

It really is a small car—at 152.8 inches (3,880 mm) long, it’s much shorter than the smallest car VW sells here in the US, the Golf GTI, which is a still-diminutive 168.8 inches (4,288 mm) in length. Like the slightly bigger ID. 2all—which is still much shorter than a Golf), the ID. EVERY1 will use a new front-wheel drive version of VW’s modular MEB platform. (Initially introduced for rear- or all-wheel-drive EVs, MEB underpins cars like the ID.4 crossover and ID. Buzz bus.)

Volkswagen gets the message: Cheap, stylish EVs coming from 2026 Read More »

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The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe proves to be a real crowd-pleaser

car review, Cars, Genesis GV80 Coupe / /

The 27-inch OLED screen combines the main instrument display and an infotainment screen. It’s a big improvement on what you’ll find in older GV80s (and G80s and GV70s), and the native system is by no means unpleasant to use. Although with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, most drivers will probably just cast their phones. That will require a wire—while there is a Qi wireless charging pad, I was not able to wirelessly cast my iPhone using CarPlay; I had to plug into the USB-C port. (The press specs say it should have wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, for what it’s worth.)

Having a jog dial to interact with the infotainment is a plus in terms of driver distraction, but that’s immediately negated by having to use a touchscreen for the climate controls.

Beyond those gripes, the dark leather and contrast stitching look and feel good, and I appreciate the way the driver’s seat side bolsters hug you a little tighter when you switch into Sport mode or accelerate hard in one of the other modes. Our week with the Genesis GV80 coincided with some below-freezing weather, and I was glad to find that the seat heaters got warm very quickly—within a block of leaving the house, in fact.

I was also grateful for the fact that the center console armrest warms up when you turn on your seat heater—I’m not sure I’ve come across that feature in a car until now.

Tempting the former boss of BMW’s M division, Albert Biermann, away to set up Genesis’ vehicle dynamics department was also a good move. Biermann has been retired for a while now, but he evidently passed on some skills before that happened. The GV80 Coupe is particularly well-damped and won’t bounce you around in your seat over low-speed obstacles like potholes or speed bumps that, in other SUVs, can result in the occupants being shaken from side to side in their seats.

The 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe proves to be a real crowd-pleaser Read More »

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Driving an EV restomod that costs as much as a house—the JIA Chieftain

Cars, Chieftain Range Rover, Range Rover, Restomod / /

The Chieftain Range Rover is a fascinating thing—a refitted, reskinned, restored classic Range Rover is no new thing, nor is one with a ludicrous American V8 stuffed under the hood. But one that can be had as a gas car, plug-in hybrid, or as an EV? It can be all of those things depending on which boxes you tick. Ars Technica went for a spin in the EV to see how it stacks up.

The UK is something of an EV restomod hub. It’s been throwing electricity in things that didn’t come off the line electrified in the first place for years. Businesses like Electrogenic, Lunaz, and Everrati will, for a price, make an old car feel a little more peppy—depending on who you go to, it’ll come back restored as well. The Chieftain isn’t quite like them. Developed by Oxfordshire, UK, based Jensen International Automotive (the company’s bread ‘n butter is Jensen Interceptors), the Chieftain is an old Range Rover turned up to VERY LOUD. Or, actually, not loud at all.

Of course, these things come at a cost. A Chieftain EV Range Rover conversion, today, will set you back at least $568,000 should you choose to order one. This one was a private commission, and at that price there won’t be any built on spec on the off chance someone wants to buy one “off the peg.” By any stretch of the imagination it is a huge amount for an old car, but they’re custom-built from start to finish.

The Range Rover has aged well. Alex Goy

Yours will be made to your specification, have CarPlay/Android Auto, and the sort of mod cons one would expect in the 2020s. Under its perfectly painted shell—the color is your choice, of course—lives a 120 kWh battery. It’s made of packs mounted under the hood and in the rear, firing power to all four wheels via three motors: one at the front, and two at the rear. The tri-motor setup can theoretically produce around 650 hp (485 kW), but it’s paired back to a smidge over 405 hp (302 kW), so it doesn’t eat its tires on a spirited launch. There’s a 60: 40 rear-to-front torque split to keep things exciting if that’s your jam. Air suspension keeps occupants comfortable and insulated from the world around them.

Driving an EV restomod that costs as much as a house—the JIA Chieftain Read More »

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Yes, it turns out you can make a Tesla Cybertruck even uglier

Cars, Tesla Cybertruck / /

There’s a saying about putting lipstick on a pig, but what if it’s not lipstick? That’s the question the universe set out to answer when it aligned in such a way that famed (or perhaps infamous) car customizer Mansory got itself a Tesla Cybertruck. The Mansory Elongation—a name that must have taken ages to think of—offers exterior, interior, and wheel and tire upgrades for the straight-edged stainless steel-wrapped pickup.

Among those who mod cars, there are the tuners, who focus on adding power and (one hopes) performance, and then there are the customizers, who concentrate more on aesthetics. Once upon a time, the entire luxury car industry worked like that—a client would buy a rolling chassis from Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, or Talbot and then have bodywork added by coachbuilders like Gurney Nutting, Touring, or Figoni et Falaschi.

The rear 3/4 view of a modified Cybertruck

At least the rear winglets don’t entirely compromise access to the bed. Credit: Mansory

Modern homologation requirements have mostly put an end to that level of coachbuilding, but for the ultra-wealthy prepared to spend telephone numbers on cars, brands like Rolls-Royce will still occasionally oblige. More common now are those aftermarket shops that spiff up already luxurious cars, changing normal doors for gullwing versions, adding flaring fenders and bulging wheel arches, and plastering the interior in any hue of leather one might imagine.

Mansory has been on the scene since the end of the 1980s and has made a name for itself festooning Rolls-Royces, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and even Bugattis with extra bits that their original designers surely did not want added. Now it’s the Tesla Cybertruck’s turn.

Yes, it turns out you can make a Tesla Cybertruck even uglier Read More »