Auto Industry News: Detroit Debuts, Baja Finishers, Fresh Ferrari SUV, and Another Dodge Send-Off Model
It’s been a very busy few weeks for the auto industry, as automakers drop debut vehicles like hot potatoes. Interestingly, these reveals seem to be occurring everywhere but the Detroit Auto Show which had a noticeably small media presence and less than a dozen newly unveiled models this year. The Engine Block recaps the show’s highlights, and explains how its new experience-focused format will likely set the tone for the overall auto show circuit. Additionally, Dodge announced another “Last Call” tribute model, Ferrari pulled the covers off its first SUV-that-it-won’t-call-an-SUV, and Elon Musk is back in the news.
But first, Bryce Menzies has reason to celebrate this Monday morning…
Baja 400 Repeat Victory
Celebrating its third year on the calendar, the Baja 400 hit the sands of Ensenada, Mexico this weekend. As with all SCORE events, it did not disappoint.
Competitors had 19 hours to complete the torturous 393.82-mile loop. Defending champ, Bryce Menzies hoped to take home a repeat win – and his goal became reality after scraping past Luke McMillin for victory.
McMillin, who beat Menzies in the San Felipe season-opener, secured pole position during Wednesday’s qualifying. He put forth a valiant effort on Sunday, but lost the lead to Menzies after suffering a flat tire around mile 65. Menzies continued to lead the pack of 197 competitors, despite losing his four-wheel-drive. He finished with a time of 7:59:27, and average speed of 49.28 mph across the rugged course. McMillin still managed to snag second place, with a time of 8:02:54. His older brother Dan McMillin rounded out the podium with a time of 8:08:30.
Next up on the SCORE calendar is the season-finishing Baja 1000, scheduled Nov. 15-20.
Detroit Auto Show – Trends & Takeaways
After three years away, the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) is back. The industry collectively applauded the comeback, but in much the same way one celebrates an elderly relative’s return home after a worryingly long stint in physical rehab.
Oh! He looks good! That’s a helluva injury though…
NAIAS or the Detroit Auto Show, as it’s more commonly known, faced some unique challenges in recent years. On the whole, traditional auto shows have been struggling to stay relevant. Digital avenues expand automakers’ debut options without expanding budgets, causing many a company accountant to wonder ‘Why are we attending these things?’ (The event’s mid-winter placement on the schedule in Michigan certainly didn’t help matters either.)
Unfortunately, just as event organizers decided to breathe new life into the show – moving it to the warmer Fall, and pouring resources into incorporating a street festival atmosphere – the world shut down. And, like your grandpa’s broken hip, that’s a tough experience to bounce back from.
The show must go on.
With 2020 a bust, and 2021 unfolding with similar concerns, the Detroit Auto Dealers Association introduced Motor Bella. The outdoor show, held at M1 Concourse, received positive feedback for showcasing a new format that prioritizes ‘experiences’ over ‘stuff.’
It’s clear show organizers applied those notes to this year’s show. And, in many ways, they had to – as stuff was in short supply. Only five brands unveiled 10 new models, and journalist attendance was cut in half.
“The days of 60 reveals happening at our show are probably behind us,” Thad Szott, president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, told Automotive News. “This is a complete reboot. This is not the cars-on-carpet show you’ve been to in the past. It’s a completely different, re-imagined show.”
To compensate for fewer indoor attractions, organizers have arranged a diverse lineup outside. Several ride-and-drive experiences populate Downtown Detroit, as well as a mobile gaming arcade, Monster Truck Throwdown, dinosaur exhibit, and flight demonstrations of future “air mobility” concepts. If that’s not enough to spark interest, the 61-foot-tall yellow rubber duckie looming over the convention center is sure to do the trick.
Few Debuts
Unfortunately, the new window dressing did little to distract from the glaring lack of automakers at the event.
Outside of Ford, Chevy, Stellantis, Toyota, and Subaru, there wasn’t much corporate participation. Automakers were also careful to balance their debuts between traditional and modern outlets. For example, Chevy unveiled its new Tahoe RST Performance Edition at the show but debuted the new $30,000 electric Equinox a week prior during “CBS Mornings.”
According to Chevy, the Tahoe RST Performance Edition is the fastest retail Tahoe ever, launching 0-60 mph in 5.78 seconds. With pursuit-rated performance, it reaches a top speed of 124 mph on the test track, and offers better stopping distance with 60-0 mph braking in 133 feet.
Other notable debuts included:
- The Last Chrysler 300 Sedan.
The limited-edition model pays homage to the end of an era, with a naturally aspirated 392-cubic-inch, 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 engine, rated at 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque.
- Mustang Dark Horse Trim.
Equipped with a specially-tuned 5.0-liter Coyote engine, the track-oriented Dark Horse model will make 500 hp.
- Updated Lincoln Corsair SUV.
The small luxury SUV adds segment-first features, including an ActiveGlide hands-free advanced driver assistance system for highway driving.
- Two New Jeep Special Editions.
The 2023 Jeep Wrangler Willys 4xe and the 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe 30th Anniversary edition blend legendary 4×4 capability with electric vehicle technology.
- Two New Jeep EVs.
While not present on the show floor, Jeep announced two new all-electric SUVs during its press conference. The off-road Jeep Recon proudly wears its Wrangler-inspired design with removable doors and glass. Meanwhile, the Wagoneer S represents premium zero-emission performance, targeting a range of 400 miles on a single charge, 600 hp and a 0-60 mph time of around 3.5 seconds.
Did you know…?
For the fourth year in a row, the Geneva Motor Show has been erased from the schedule. The former juggernaut on the global auto show circuit struggled to rebound from the financial toll of its first cancelation in 2020, which happened with barely any warning as Swiss officials instituted an unexpected lockdown. The stressors continued, ranging from COVID concerns to computer chip shortages. Organizers said they’ll try again next year – though, they’ll be swapping the traditional setting of snowy Alps for the sands of Qatar.
EV Announcements
Unsurprisingly, EVs held a strong presence at NAIAS – both on the show floor and outside the convention center. They also dominated the list of 2023 NACTOY Semifinalists, accounting for 20 of the 26 models moving to the next round. The year’s list includes ten cars, three trucks and 13 utility vehicles.
Considered a barometer for top-notch vehicles, the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards – or NACTOY – are the longest-running new-vehicle awards not associated with a single publication, website, radio or television station. Instead, they are judged by a variety of professional automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.
President Biden also made an appearance at the Detroit Auto Show. There, he pledged $900 million in grants for electric vehicle chargers across 35 states. These grants mark the first round of $5 billion in funding, earmarked in the recent infrastructure law. The money will be available over the next five years to help states reach the administration’s goal of building 500,000 nationwide EV charging stations by 2030.
The 35 approved states represent about two-thirds of the 52 electric vehicle charging infrastructure plans submitted to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI). According to the Federal Highway Administration, the remaining plans are on track to finish the process by the target date of Sept. 30.
2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona Crowned Next “Last Call” Model
Dodge’s “Last Call” lineup gained its newest recruit. Tracing its lineage to the 1960s and 1970s West Coast drag-racing scene, the special-edition 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona turns up the heat on the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody with ten extra horsepower and a vivid Go Mango exterior color. Only 300 models will be produced.
The 2023 Dodge Charger King Daytona marks the fifth of seven special-edition Dodge “Last Call” models intended to honor the passing of the internal-combustion Challenger and Charger models which the automaker plans to discontinue in 2023.
Six of the vehicles all carry some connection to a Dodge muscle car of yore, and will debut through Sept. 21, 2022. The seventh and final 2023 Dodge model – the very last of its kind – will be revealed at the 2022 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, scheduled for Nov. 1-4, 2022.
Ferrari’s First Four-Door
Only Ferrari could manufacture a vehicle that is so clearly a small SUV, and absolutely refuse to call it by that name. Whether the brand is embarrassed that it must now pander to popular taste in order to survive, or it is merely trying to be enigmatic is really anybody’s guess.
What is not a guess is that this 4-door Ferrari bears all the hallmarks of an exotic, luxury SUV – including the painful price tag.
The four-seater model bears the name “Purosangue” – Italian for “thoroughbred” – as well as a 6.5-liter V-12 engine under the hood. Capable of making 715 hp and 528 lb. ft. of torque, the Ferrari SUV has a top speed of more than 310 kph (193 mph) and accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 3.3 seconds.
“The chassis, engine and gearbox were brand new and most of other components had been specifically designed for this model to make it a proper thoroughbred,” Ferrari Chief Product Development Officer Gianmaria Fulgenzi said
Pricing starts at $391,000, making it the second-most expensive normal production model in Ferrari’s range. The Purosangue is expected to hit the U.S. market during Q3 2023, with annual output capped at around 3,000 units to “preserve brand exclusivity.”
Musk Makes More Waves
Another day, another headline concerning Tesla’s polarizing CEO Elon Musk.
This past week, the tech titan scored a (small) win in his ongoing court battle with Twitter. A judge ruled that Musk can use the claims of whistleblower Peiter Zatko in his legal case against the social platform, however he cannot delay the trial past its October start date.
Musk’s legal issues began in July when he rescinded his $44bn deal to purchase Twitter. At the time, he claimed the company was hiding security weaknesses and “failed or refused to” hand over information regarding the accurate number of bots and spam accounts on the social platform. Zatko’s whistleblower claims support Musk’s allegations.
Meanwhile, pressure is increasing in other courtroom proceedings.
A $258bn racketeering lawsuit against the CEO just added seven new investor plaintiffs and six new defendants. The complaint alleges that Musk, along with several of his companies, intentionally drove up the price of meme-based cryptocurrency Dogecoin, and then let it crash.
And in yet another high-profile legal happening, a new class-action lawsuit has emerged accusing Tesla and Musk of “deceptively and misleadingly” overstating Autopilot and Full Self-Driving vehicle technologies. The complaint argues that this intentional misrepresentation led customers to believe the vehicles were far more capable than is actually the case.
The Engine Block is your one-stop source for any and all auto industry news. Keep an eye on our weekly round-up of enthusiast coverage, product reviews, vehicle spotlights, auto show/expo features, and more. Be sure to tune in Friday for the next installment in our Resourceful Traveler series. We tackle what to look for when shopping for an overlanding camper or trailer.
