Tag Archives: News Blog

NHTSA Resumes Inquisition of Tesla Autopilot

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Virrage Images/Shutterstock

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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has been keeping tabs on Tesla’s Autopilot for years, sometimes giving crashes involving the system a bit more attention than they otherwise would have. But the extra scrutiny seemed to dissipate as practically every automaker on the planet introduced their own advanced driving suites and Telsa seemed to preemptively adhere to fast-approaching government regulations (and industry norm) by introducing driver-monitoring cameras.

On Friday, the NHTSA returned to business as usual and announced it had opened a preliminary evaluation of Autopilot to determine if there were any problems with the system. The agency has claimed it received at least 11 verifiable crash reports since 2018 where a Tesla product struck at least one vehicle that was already at the scene of an accident. It’s sort of a weird metric but allegedly worthy of the NHTSA wanting to look into every model the company produced between 2014 and 2021. However, actually reading the report makes it sound like the agency is more preoccupied with how Tesla’s system engaged with drivers, rather than establishing the true effectiveness of Autopilot as a system. 

From the report:

Most incidents took place after dark and the crash scenes encountered included scene control measures such as first responder vehicle lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, and road cones. The involved subject vehicles were all confirmed to have been engaged in either Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control during the approach to the crashes.

Autopilot is an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) in which the vehicle maintains its speed and lane centering when engaged within its Operational Design Domain (ODD). With the ADAS active, the driver still holds primary responsibility for Object and Event Detection and Response (OEDR), e.g., identification of obstacles in the roadway or adverse maneuvers by neighboring vehicles during the Dynamic Driving Task (DDT).

As a result, the Office of Defects Investigation says it has started investigating Autopilot (SAE Level 2) equipped to all Tesla models (S, X, 3, and Y) manufactured between 2014 and 2021. The goal will be to assess the associated “technologies and methods used to monitor, assist, and enforce the driver’s engagement with the dynamic driving task during Autopilot operation.”

While it also plans to look into the general effectiveness of Autopilot but it’s written into the report almost as an afterthought, making the whole thing a bit curious. The government granted manufacturers quite a bit of leeway in terms of where and how they tested autonomous vehicles for years, with the NHTSA doing little to buck the trend. Retroactively looking into Tesla vehicles for not being sufficiently obnoxious to convince operators not to use Autopilot seems genuinely stupid. Most forms of ADAS encourage drivers to check out of the driving experience, encouraging complacency behind the wheel.

That’s not really a defense on behalf of Tesla either. Your author routinely bashed the company for rolling out Autopilot irresponsibly and there are more than enough examples of drivers doing something truly stupid to help that case. But the government already allowed it to sell those vehicles and hasn’t done nearly as much to chide other manufacturers who are offering similar systems that also yield questionable efficacy. Tesla simply got there first, had better (albeit questionable) marketing, offered more features, and took all the early praise.

The NHTSA frequently goes out of its way to remind people that no commercially available vehicles are capable of driving themselves while simultaneously giving the go-ahead to automakers who stop just short of making the absolute counterclaim. Seeing the agency suddenly launch a preliminary investigation that could ultimately lead to a recall campaign of 765,000 vehicles makes it seem like it has a vendetta against Tesla or a desperate need to look competent. Why not have a full assessment of literally every vehicle sold with features that qualify as SAE Level 2 rather than single out the highest-profile manufacturer selling the least amount of cars?

Probably because that would require a lot more work and gum up the works for legacy automakers that have better relationships with government entities. Let’s not forget that Tesla was the only domestic automaker deemed ineligible for the latest EV subsidies on account of its opposition to unionization and has a history of butting heads with regulators and the State of California. But it would be irresponsible for me to claim that’s the agency’s de facto reasoning, rather than a strong hunch.

The NHTSA has at least started requiring automakers to report crashes where advanced driving systems were engaged during or immediately before the crash. That should eventually help build a foundation of data to help make more informed decisions moving ahead. But the recent focus on driver monitoring remains unsettling, particularly as we’ve seen bizarre inclusions in unrelated bills attempting to mandate enhanced government surveillance of vehicle occupants.  If the NHTSA was serious about any of this, it would take a look at how oversized central displays are encouraging distracted driving and put some additional effort behind its generalized ADAS assessments.

Tesla has plenty of problems and frequently makes decisions that run counter to good taste. Autopilot may even have serious issues that need to be addressed. But if other manufacturers aren’t subjected to the same level of scrutiny, then the NHTSA hasn’t done its job. There are millions of less-expensive vehicles equipped with similar systems, some I’ve personally seen fail in ways that could have easily resulted in an accident. Frankly, I would argue most ADAS fail to work as advertised and encourage complacency to a potentially dangerous degree. However, they don’t make the headlines or end up on the receiving end of enhanced regulatory pressure.

Either these systems work well and should be retained or they don’t and must be removed — the badge on the front of the car should be irrelevant. Nobody has done a great job with autonomy and the solutions being presented by regulators are truly unsavory, we should all be tired of pretending otherwise.

[Image: Virrage Images/Shutterstock]

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Senate Infrastructure Bill Seeks to Make Breathalyzers, Interior Cameras Mandatory

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Architect of the Capitol/AOC.gov
Public Domain

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The U.S. Senate is currently considering a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that’s primarily targeting the ailing highway system, with tens of billions left over to spend on advancing the nation’s EV charging infrastructure and incorporating more eco-friendly modes of public transportation. But there’s also some really kooky shit that you need to be made aware of before this passes into law.

Along with new regulations that would mandate the inclusion of collision detection systems and automatic emergency braking, where the car calls your bluff and applies the wheel-stoppers independently of your actions, provisions have been made that would also require some kind of in-car breathalyzer. The stated aim is to reduce incidents of drunk driving. However, the proposed system may also include driver-monitoring cameras, totally undermining any nobility the cause might otherwise have had.

Complaining about regulatory overreach is kind of my beat and the last few years have kept me truly busy. But this is on a whole other level as the nanny state runs amok — and we’re just getting started.

While incidents of drunk driving have come down over the decades, it remains a legitimate problem. We also saw 2020 deliver some of the worst crash rates in U.S. history despite people undoubtedly driving less and the previous downward trends. Sadly, the government solution seem to be based around inconveniencing regular people while simultaneously violating their right to privacy.

The 2,700-page document suggests installing automated traffic enforcement hubs, networked with speed and stoplight cameras (similar to what currently exists in China) and requiring automakers to install breathalyzers (or their equivalent) inside of vehicles that must be used before an automobile can even be started. This is a popular tactic among the court system as a way to ensure DUI recipients aren’t setting off three sheets to the wind. But one of the criticisms was that drivers could simply have someone else blow into the device. Well, the interested parties have accounted for that by requiring some kind of in-car monitoring system that not only makes sure you’re the one blowing but also has the ability to track face and eye movements in case you’re planning to get drunk while driving.

Considering automakers are already installing driver-facing cameras as part of their “advanced driving suites” or “driver assistance packages,” it’s not much of a stretch to see that hardware readapted for government use. The industry has even begun signaling that it’s happy to comply.

Carla Bailo, CEO of the Center for Automotive Research, recently told NBC News that the real issue won’t even be developing the hardware to do this. It already exists. The hard part will be making it cheap enough so that automakers can make sure all of it can go into literally every car produced.

“I don’t think that will be as easy as people might think,” Bailo said.

From NBC:

Nissan, for one, is working on a system that would use several different methods to see if an impaired driver is behind the wheel. Multiple sensors detect alcohol in cabin air. A camera atop the instrument cluster looks for facial cues signaling the driver is inebriated, and the vehicle itself looks for driving patterns suggesting an impaired driver.

But one concern is that the system could be triggered by drunk passengers, even with a sober, designated driver.

The federal government is funding research through the Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program. Several possible solutions are being studied, including one similar to a Breathalyzer. It would measure alcohol in the air around the driver, however, rather than requiring a motorist to blow into a tube every time they want start their vehicle. Like Nissan’s system, the challenge is to avoid false positives from an inebriated passenger.

A second system measures blood alcohol content in the body’s capillaries by shining a light on a driver’s finger. It could be built into a vehicle’s start button or steering wheel.

It’s all very futuristic until you remember that self-driving cars were supposed to have arrived a couple of years ago and the industry’s solution was to release a bunch of half-baked assistance features that mandate constant surveillance so the automaker can avoid any liabilities. That technology is now becoming the keystone for the proposed safety legislation that’s lurking in the Senate infrastructure bill.

Those in need of further proof that this is all sketchy as hell need look no further than its endorsement by the world’s largest automotive lobby. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation (AAI) has already expressed support for driver-monitoring cameras, which are completely in line with what the bill’s proposing.

“The auto industry has long been committed to supporting public and private efforts to address this tragic threat to road safety,” John Bozzella, CEO of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, stated. “This legislation furthers the possibility for advanced technologies to help address the risk of impaired driving.”

Additional requirements from the bill include automakers to include some sort of rear-seat monitoring that would alert operators when they’ve left a child in the rear seat (something many vehicles already have) and collision detection systems (ditto). The only real change is that they would be required hardware for all vehicles, rather than something that could be added as an option. Of course, the industry doesn’t care because their inclusion can now just be baked into the final asking price, rather than something you’ll have to be sold into at the dealership.

If you have a free weekend, I strongly urge you to read the bill. It’s not just the automotive content that veers into the weeds. The entire thing is loaded with those weird inclusions that have nothing to do with infrastructure but had no other way of being snuck into law. Though it could be too late by then because a vote on the bill is expected to take place at any moment.

[Image: Architect of the Capitol]

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Buy/Drive/Burn: V6 Midsize American Sedans of 1997

We continue our 2007 and 1997 sedan series with its fourth installment. We’ve covered V6 Japanese sedans from two different decades, as well as American-branded entries from 2007. Today we step back to the midsize V6 sedan class of 1997. The Big Three beckon you with medium build quality, equipment, and value for money in a midsize sedan; a segment in which only GM deigns to participate in 2020. Let’s go.

Note: We’re counting these three as mid-size today, though the Intrepid leans into the full-size category. The Dodge Stratus is too small to play here.

Dodge Intrepid

1997 saw the first generation Dodge Intrepid wrap up its run, arguably as the most stylish car of this trio. It was replaced by a larger second generation the following year which seemed built even more poorly than the first-gen. Developed over its tenure, by 1996 Intrepid had standard ABS, and an Autostick shift-it-yourself feature for the four-speed automatic. Today’s car is well-equipped ES trim and features the larger 3.5-liter V6 good for 214 horsepower. You’ll pay around $22,910.

Ford Taurus

The third-gen Taurus was in its second model year in 1997, as its design went from aero three-box to ovoid, customers were less than thrilled, and Ford began to pay less and less attention to its mass-market family car. The model’s first two years saw a different trim lineup than the latter two, with G, GL, LX, and SHO as the initial group. Base models received a 3.0-liter Vulcan V6, but the LX stepped up to the 3.0 Duratec mill that made 200 horses (instead of 145). Today’s LX sends those horses through a four-speed AX4N automatic. Yours at $21,610.

Pontiac Grand Prix

The popular and cladded Grand Prix was newly in its sixth generation for the ’97 model year. Aggressive in styling and with Pontiac’s Wide-Trac stance, the Grand Prix was a go-to for many family sedan buyers at the time. Just two trims were available on Grand Prix, the base SE in sedan guise, or GT in coupe or sedan forms. The GT sedan (today’s pick) uses the Buick 3800 V6 good for 195 horsepower. Ask is about $20,319.

Three sedans around the $20,000 mark, which is worth the Buy in 1997?

[Images: Chrysler, Ford, GM]

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Penske & Cox Premiere AI Based Auto Sales Platform With Confusing Name

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Gretchen Gunda Enger/Shutterstock

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Years ago, waiting for a haircut, dental appointment, or psychological evaluation meant thumbing through a paperback filled with local listings of automobiles you had convinced yourself you might be in the market for. While primarily an exercise for wasting one’s time, there was always a chance you’d run to a payphone or whip our your Nextel to contact the seller so you could begin the delicate dance of commerce.

But the modern experience has been streamlined, digitized and requires no cheap ink staining your thumb to get to final destination of car ownership. It’s also being heavily consolidated, as the biggest names in the industry continue to take more of the online space devoted to vehicle browsing. Penske Automotive Group and Cox Automotive have announced they’ll be joining forces to establish another online buying platform, controlled by artificial intelligence, for secondhand cars. Cox already owns Autotrader.com, Manheim Auctions, and Kelly Blue Book. Penske owns CarShop, offers vehicle servicing, logistics management, and has national dealer/rental networks for both passenger cars and commercial trucks.

The duo has collaboratively developed what they call a “transformational, fully automated technology platform to enable the online retail sale of used vehicles.” It’s effectively just a website but allegedly one that takes the cream of the crop from their other properties to create an automated buying platform that offers the best secondhand vehicles in their respective decks.

Officially owned by Cox, the platform is being called “Esntial Commerce” which is not to be confused with “Essential Commerce” — the more sensical sounding title practically every outlet used when sharing the press release before they had to issue corrections.

The platform isn’t unique in that it’s a way to buy cars online. In fact, that’s gradually becoming the default shopping model for used vehicles while manufacturers test ways to make it work for new ones. But it’s being made out as an all-in-one solution that totally removes person-to-person exchanges. Esntial Commerce is supposed to take care of everything from vehicle comparisons to signing the paperwork online so you can wait around for your vehicle to be delivered at a destination of your choosing.

“Penske’s CarShop powered by Cox Automotive Esntial Commerce delivers personalization, F&I automation, and a seamless closing of the transaction when buying a vehicle online,” Steve Rowley, President of Cox Automotive, said in a statement. “No one has delivered an automotive eCommerce solution that can scale to support the industry’s transformation for retailers and for consumers — until now. As our solution matures, we expect it to drive both consumer satisfaction and profitability.”

“Over the last year the [Penske] and [Cox] teams have collaborated on this unparalleled technology that delivers a completely digital solution to the marketplace,” Penske Automotive Group Chair Roger Penske elaborated. “This new digital platform meets the digital-first demands of today’s customer while providing us with the opportunity to offer our customers 100 [percent] online functionality.”

While derivative of current industry trends, Esntial Commerce seems to be offering some truly novel by having an AI take you through literally the entire process of purchasing a used car. But there’s also something a little eerie about it, despite how unfun the dealer experience can be. Customers will undoubtedly be locked into paying whatever the algorithm decides once it has ran through their credit score and calculated the trade-in value. The complete absence of another living being likely means you cannot haggle or try and get overly creative with the financing options. But that’s exactly what Penske and Cox wanted, saying they went through numerous vendors before deciding the self-made, algorithmic AI approach was best.

Penske confirmed that Esntial Commerce will gradually become baked into its franchised dealerships (specifically for secondhand sales). But when and how that will be implemented has gone unanswered. We’re also not sure how that’s going to play out for its employment roster as the automated platform presumably requires fewer salaried workers. Meanwhile, Cox has plans to extend the service to other businesses later in the year. For now, you can access it via the CarShop website by selecting the “buy online” option.

[Image: Gretchen Gunda Enger/Shutterstock]

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2022 BMW 2 Series Coupes Coming Soon

BMW 2 Series coupes

The 2022 BMW 2 Series coupes are on their way. Dynamic testing, drivetrain, and suspension tuning on the two-door compact are nearing conclusion. Production begins in the late summer of 2021.

BMW 2 Series coupesThe new BMW 2 Series is being described as more nimble, agile, and powerful than previous models.

Tuning and testing at Nurburgring’s Nordschleife and on public roads around Munich, the new 2’s drivability is key.

BMW 2 Series coupes

The 230i and M240i AWD will be the first out of the gate, with the 230i xDrive and M240i to follow.

The M240i xDrive has a 3.0 liter, inline 6-cylinder TwinPower turbo under hood, producing 382 horsepower. Backed up by a standard 8-speed sport Steptronic automatic, alas there’s no mention of a manual transmission option.

xDrive AWD systems have an M sport rear differential to add traction and stability while accelerating, according to BMW.

BMW 2 Series coupes

There’s a front lip spoiler, splitter, air curtains, deflectors, and underfloor covers for the fuel tank and rear differential. BMW attributes a 50-percent reduction in front-end lift to the aerodynamic package.

Twelve percent more torsionally rigid than its predecessor, BMW has also increased front and rear tracks to add rigidity.

BMW 2 Series coupes

New shocks enhance ride comfort, while better responding to road conditions. The optional Adaptive M suspension adds electronically-controlled shocks with settings that are more dynamic or comfort-oriented.

Improved road feel comes from new, stiffer front axle support bearings. Another option, variable sports steering, reduces steering effort while improving driving feel.

Meanwhile, the 2 Series is out there killing cones in pursuit of fine-tuning the suspension. We’ve not yet reached the point of cone conservation.

[Images: BMW]

2021 Acura TLX Type S Pricing Revealed

2021 Acura TLX Type S

Ford’s Lightning has stolen the spotlight this week, but another hotly anticipated vehicle is jumping around and waving its arms (metaphorically speaking, as cars don’t have arms) to remind buyers it exists and goes on sale soon. That vehicle is the 2021 Acura TLX Type S.

Pricing will start at $52,300, not including the $1,025 destination charge, when the sport sedan goes on sale on June 23. $800 more gets you a high-performance wheel and tire package.

2021 Acura TLX Type S

Only 2,000 of the cars, which have a 355-horsepower turbo V6, sport suspension with a double-wishbone front setup, Brembo brakes, 20-inch wheels, 10-speed automatic transmission, and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, will be sold.

2021 Acura TLX Type S

A build-and-price site is up for consumers, and interested buyers can plunk down a reservation.

It’s no electric truck, but it’s exciting in its own way, especially for those of us who still hold a flame for luxury sport-sedans in what’s become a crossover world.

2021 Acura TLX Type S

It’s also about the same base price as a Lightning XLT. And on sale a year sooner. What’s the better deal, huh?

[Images: Acura]

Another Takata Airbag Tragedy

Takata

American Honda and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) confirmed that a defective Takata airbag inflator ruptured in the crash of a 2002 Honda Accord on January 9th in Lancaster County, South Carolina. The ruptured inflator led to the driver’s death.

There have been 16 U.S. deaths and more than 200 injuries due to ruptured Takata airbag driver’s inflators. Two other automakers have had three Takata airbag inflator fatalities, for a total of 19 in the U.S.

According to Honda, the vehicle involved had been under a recall since April 2011 for replacement of the Takata driver’s frontal airbag inflator. Honda sent mailers, and made phone calls, emails, and in-person visits, but completed no repairs.  The driver killed in the accident was not the owner. It is unclear if the driver knew of the vehicle recall.

Honda has sufficient replacement inflators now to complete free repairs for any recalled Hondas and Acuras in the United States. They urge all owners of any Honda or Acura affected by the Takata airbag inflator recall to get their vehicles to an authorized dealer immediately. Older vehicles, particularly 2001-2003 model year vehicles, have an increased risk of an airbag inflator rupture, and they pose the greatest safety hazard. Owners can check their vehicles’ recall status at www.recalls.honda.com or www.recalls.acura.com.

From my experience with a Ford Ranger equipped with a Takata airbag, it took six months and two Ford dealerships to get a replacement inflator. I wondered if I was driving a time bomb, and the notion that the inflator could explode at any time was unsettling. The first dealer was unconcerned, but the second dealer, Vancouver Ford in Washington, gave me a loaner vehicle for two weeks until the repair was completed. The service manager told me Ford had authorized him to provide loaners to avoid this from occurring.

If two other automakers have had a total of three deaths, and Honda has had 16, what does that tell you about its — and/or its dealers — efforts to get all of these vehicles repaired without further injury or loss of life?

[Image: Honda]

Buy/Drive/Burn: The Cheapest Full-size, Truck-based SUVs in America for 2021

We continue the Cheapest Of series today on Buy/Drive/Burn, and check out the least expensive full-size truck-based SUVs on sale in America in 2021. And we’ve been generous today and equipped each of them with four-wheel drive to avoid any usability concerns. Today’s trio is very close in price but diverges elsewhere. Let’s go.

Chevrolet Tahoe

The Tahoe is new for 2021, is the cheapest vehicle here. This year it gains a host of updates including an independent rear suspension and some very in-your-face-styling. General Motors believes more trims are better, and offers Tahoe in LS, LT, RST, Z71, Premier, and High Country variations. At the lower end, an LS starts at $49,600, and a High Country is $68,200 before options. Unlike the others here, the power plant depends on trim and is provided via the stalwart 5.3-liter V8, a 6.2-liter V8 (High Country only), or a 3.0-liter inline-six turbodiesel. The 5.3 and diesel are both available at the LS level, and the V8 is slightly cheaper. A 4×4 LS is available in eight different free colors, most of which are grey-ish. Seats are covered in cloth here, but buyers can choose between Jet Black and “Very Dark Atmosphere,” or as you’d call it light gray. A bench seat can replace the front console, but that’ll cost you $250. With no options selected and after the freight charge of $1,695, the Tahoe asks $54,295.

Ford Expedition

Ford’s Expedition is F-150 based as you’d expect and has been on sale in its current guise since the 2018 model year. It’s available in five different trims presently: XL STX, XLT, Limited, King Ranch, and Platinum. Prices range from a base of $49,025 to nearly $74,000 for the Platinum. All trims feature the same 3.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost V6, which produces 375 horsepower. In XL STX trim, all six available paint colors are free of charge, and one of them is brown. All seats are covered in cloth at this level, and the only color on offer is Ebony. The 4×4 upcharge is added to the acquisition fee of $656 and the destination charge of $1,695 for a grand total of $55,385.

Nissan Armada

The most expensive entry of today’s trio is also the only one from Japan. The Nissan Armada in its current guise is sold as the Patrol elsewhere in the world and shares a body with the more expensive QX80 and a platform with the Nissan Titan. Available in four trims, S, SV, SL, and Platinum, the Armada ranges from $48,600 to over $65,000 before options. All trims share the same naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 used across Nissan’s truck line that’s good for 400 horsepower. Colors available for free on the SV 4WD trim include black and silver. Interiors are dark gray or tan, and the leather has an -ette at the end of it. The four-wheel drive and shipping fee add up for a base price on the Armada of $57,095.

Three big SUVs, all of them ask for around $55,000 of your dollars. Which one goes home with you?

[Images: GM, Ford, Nissan]

Land Rover Defender of the Faith

Defender

The Land Rover Defender, absent from the U.S. for a quarter of a century, has made its return in both a 90 and 110 super size. Available from 296 HP mild to 518 HP wild, there’s one available in just about any configuration you’d want.

Defender

Looking at Land Rover’s current availabilities, their locator tells us that despite the just-right size of the 90, you couldn’t get a ’21 model in anything but a 110. Should my fortunes or luck change, the 2022 Defender 90 most appealing to me would be the 90 V8, that .44 magnum of an SUV closest to what I’d consider the classic Defender. Perhaps it’s the 5.0-liter, supercharged V8, with its 518 HP and 461 lb-ft. of torque that tempts me, or its the shape of the 90 that’s vaguely reminiscent of the 1979 Stage 1 Defender V8 that captivated me upon its arrival at Four Wheeler magazine, where I sold ad space.

Defender

Maybe it was riding in the Defender 90 that the late Eddie Van Halen drove everywhere, despite having more vehicles than his nearly full-time mechanic, Bill Smulo, could handle. With plenty of room for guitar cases and small amplifiers, it was nearly ideal. The 3.9-liter V8 that came in the Defender of the early ’90s was no comparison to the blown big block in Eddie’s ’55 Chevy, but the Vortech supercharger that Smulo installed on the Defender did make it a decent runner up Mulholland Drive.

Defender

0-60 in 4.9 seconds, with a top speed of 149 MPH, those are the numbers reported by Land Rover for the Defender 90 V8. Yes, there are other models available, such as the X-Dynamic SE, X-Dynamic HSE, and top-of-the range Carpathian Edition, all trim levels to me, and reasons why the MSRP will swell to beyond what it costs to import and restore an original Defender. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Land Rover noted all the companies in the U.S. that are scouring the earth for Defenders that can be brought into the country, and once restored or modified, resell them for six-figure sums.

Defender

The height of personalization, different accessory packs as Land Rover refers to them, are supposedly purchased by a great many Land Rover customers. Having not been among that rare breed, I should have to take Land Rover’s word for it and assume they are correct in their assertion as to how many packs are sold to their well-heeled clientele. You should also know that the touchscreen has grown by over 60 percent, from a 10-inch display to an optional 11.4-inches, with Pivi Pro infotainment availability. We are now all well aware that watching something on the screen, or attending to it in any way while driving, is an absolute no-no, one that might lead to an unfortunate accident like the one sustained by golfing legend Tiger Woods, although at this time we’ve not heard the cause of that incident.

Defender

Suspension tuning with revised spring and damper rates, and a new electronic active rear differential to deliver greater agility and handling, the Defender V8 is said to have heightened body control. A Defender V8-exclusive Terrain Response system will enhance the performance of the Defender, and provide a new level of driver appeal, according to Land Rover. What is undeniable is the look of the 22-inch alloy wheels in a dark gray powder coat, Continental Cross Contact tires, and the Xenon Blue-painted brake calipers. Yeah, we like the new 2022 Defender V8.

[Images: Land Rover]

2022 Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing: Hold That EV Order

Cadillac

Last week, GM announced plans to go 100 percent EV with its light-duty vehicle fleet in less than 15 years. Tonight, Cadillac took the wraps off two high-performance luxury sport sedans that probably won’t pass too many gas pumps.

Talk about whiplash.

To be fair, development lead times are long – almost certainly longer than the time it took GM to come up with its ambitious EV goal. Furthermore, GM’s goal set a target for the dim, distant future, and there’s still room for high-zoot engines on the marketplace – at least in the short term.

Cadillac

The mills here are a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 for the CT5-V Blackwing and a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 for the CT4-V Blackwing.

Oh, hey #savethemanuals folks, you should take note – a six-speed manual with rev-matching and no-lift shifting is standard. If clutching is too much work for you, a 10-speed automatic with paddle-shifters is available.

Cadillac

There’s an electronic limited-slip differential, a suspension tuned for sport, magnetic ride control, structural changes that Caddy says will improve steering response and handling for on-track driving, large brakes (Cadillac claims the largest its ever put on a production car – up to 15.67-inch rotors), customizable digital gauges, launch control, and Performance Traction Management.

The V8 is slated to make 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque and will be hand-built in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It will even be signed. Compared to other versions of this engine, it has a higher-flow air intake and tweaked exhaust system.

Cadillac

It also has a 1.7-liter, four-lobe Eaton blower. Cadillac is claiming a top speed of over 200 mph and a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds when equipped with the slushbox, as well as a 46 percent improvement in intake airflow over the CTS-V.

Track people, take note of the wet-sump oil system with external oil separator. Other goodies include titanium intake valves and aluminum cylinder heads that are supposed to be stronger and better at handling heat than conventional aluminum-alloy heads.

Cadillac

The V6 appears to be no slouch, either, with 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. Intake airflow is projected at 39 percent better than the ATS-V, and the top-speed number is claimed to be 189 mph. Zero to sixty is said to flash by in 3.8 seconds if you opt for the automatic.

Manual-trans cars get titanium connecting rods, and cars with either transmission get a whole bunch of other tweaks, including revised crankshaft counter weights, better temperature control via piston oil squirters, and a cooling system that is meant to improve torque response.

Brakes are Brembos, naturally, with six-piston calipers up front and four-pistons out back, and available carbon ceramics on the CT5-V. Brake-pedal feel can be adjusted via the drive modes.

Both transmissions feature differential cooling.

Cadillac

The suspension tweaks include stiffer spring rates, unique hollow stabilizer bars, and higher-rate bushings. It’s a MacPherson strut setup in front and five-link independent setup out back.

Track rats will like the available carbon-fiber aerodynamics kit and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Wheels are forged aluminum-alloy (standard) and widths are staggered. V6s roll on 18s, with the CT5-V on 19s.

The grilles (yes, plural – the main grille is meant to improve airflow while the secondary grilles assist with airflow and cooling), rear spoiler, front splitter, rear diffuser, and fender vents are among the body panels/features that are tweaked, and all exterior lighting is LED. Underbody panels reduce drag and the aforementioned optional carbon-fiber aero kit reduces lift. The brake calipers are available in different four different colors, while there are three interior trims (base, mid, and top level). Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard along with wireless cell-phone charging.

Cadillac

Interior options will include a head-up display, heated seats, cooled seats, massaging seats, carbon-fiber accents, performance steering wheel, sueded microfiber headliner, uplevel audio, and Performance Data Recorder for on-board video of all your track-day exploits.

If you want one of these cars, Cadillac will happily take your reservation 15 minutes after this post goes live, at 7:30 EST on Feb. 1, 2021. Pricing starts at $59,990 for the CT4-V Blackwing and $84,990 for the CT5-V Blackwing. That’s including the $995 destination fee.

Deliveries begin this summer.

[Images: Cadillac]