Auto Industry News: Mint 400 Surprises, Self-Possessing Fords, A Wild Custom Creation & “Young” People Saving Manuals

It’s been an interesting week across all corners of the auto industry. The Mint 400 wrapped up on Saturday, with one of the most attrition-heavy runnings in memory and not a single Top 10 qualifier landing atop the podium.

Meanwhile, Polaris announced an exciting new racing program; an absolutely wild ‘70s custom dubbed “The Beast” went up for sale for the first time ever; and a new report indicates that Gen Z and Millennials are buying up vehicles with manual transmissions.

Plus, Ford filed a patent for vehicles that can drive themselves to the impound lot, proving society is really living through some strange times.

Ready, steady, go.

2023 Mint 400 Results

While you can always count on the Mint 400 to deliver thrills and spills of epic proportions, this year’s running of the legendary event seemed hellbent on upping the ante on unpredictability. From a carnage-filled course that ate up several big-name contenders to a podium filled with no Top 10 qualifiers, the race kept fans guessing at every turn (and jump).

Limited

After two days of festivities, the competition kicked off Friday with Car/Truck Limited Racing and Short Course UTV Racing which was new to the Mint 400 schedule this year.

Up-and-comer Joe Terrana took home the Limited win – the biggest yet of his career – blasting to victory from a 53rd overall starting spot. This is only the second time that the 22-year-old Las Vegas native has raced the Mint 400; the first being last year where he finished sixth. As for this past weekend’s event, Terrana topped the podium a mere 73 seconds ahead of UTV Pro Turbo rival Bruce Binnquist, with former UTV World Champion Ryan Piplic in third.

Unlimited

Friday’s theme of perseverance carried through Saturday when the Unlimited drivers took to the field.

A challenging course combined with unpredictable weather and the usual mechanical gremlins, led to one of the most attrition-heavy Mint 400s in memory. Top qualifiers Dale Dondel, BJ Baldwin, Ryan Arciero, James Dean, and defending winner Kyle Jergensen all fell out of contention on the first lap. Tim Herbst, Justin Lofton, and Rob MacCachren joined them on the sidelines by the end of Lap 2.

Good things really do come to those who wait though, and Eric Hardin worked his way from 12th on the grid to top of the podium for his first career victory in the legendary event. He also crossed the finish line an impressive 13 minutes ahead of Christian Sourapas in second. Adam Householder took third, a nice follow-up to his victory in the KOH Desert Challenge last month.

For a full list of results from very race and class, head to https://live.themint400.com/results/

Did you know…?

This year’s Mint 400 served as one part of a new three-race championship points series. Joining the recently-wrapped King of the Hammers as well as the upcoming California 300, the three events make up the Unlimited Off-Road Racing Triple Crown Championship. The California 300 is scheduled for October 4-8 in Barstow, CA.

RZR Factory Racing Program

Off-road juggernaut, Polaris, looks to set a new standard – both in racing and vehicle innovation. The company announced last week that it is developing a comprehensive RZR Factory Racing program as well as the sport’s first-ever purpose-built, race-ready UTV.

According to Polaris, the new program goes far beyond the typical OEM sponsorship. The company has not only crafted an all-new race machine, but also hand-picked the rising talents who will pilot them – as well as the elite management teams, crew chiefs and mechanics who will offer guidance and support along the way.

Basically, the whole program is brand-new from the ground up and has been carefully curated to ensure success.

Piloting the brand-new RZR are young racing phenoms Austin Weiland, Brock Heger, and Cayden MacCachren. The trio will compete in the SCORE International series and the Best in the Desert’s Vegas to Reno race. Their season kicks off later this month with the San Felipe 250, March 28-April 2.

The Beast, Released

Legendary John Dodd creation, “The Beast,” just went up for its first-ever public sale. Built in 1972, the very unique one-off features a 27-liter Merlin aircraft engine, custom-built automatic transmission, bespoke chassis, and Frankenstein-esque melding of parts from Jaguar, Wolseley Motors, and Rolls-Royce. (The last of these big names landed the vehicle in some very public and antic-filled litigation, eventually causing Dodd to flee to Spain to avoid an arrest warrant!)

“Imagine if a Scimitar GTE was addicted to the gym and protein shakes. Then imagine its dad was the Incredible Hulk. Then paint it beige. You’re halfway there,” reads the ride’s listing on Car and Classic. As of writing, bidding sits at £64,500 (US $78,600).

The wild vehicle’s naturally-aspirated engine, which is described as “exciting, captivating and even a little bit scary – in a good way,” is estimated to produce 750bhp, and clocked a verified top-speed run of 183 mph back in 1973. In fact, “The Beast” even earned an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most powerful car in 1977.

If you want to see the “wheeled, ludicrous, unapologetic celebration of the life and brilliant eccentricity of not only John Dodd himself, but also of the British spirit of ingenuity and adventure” in action, check out the video below. “The Beast” was recently featured on the Late Brake Show, a YouTube channel hosted by motoring journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith.

In Case You Missed It

Amelia Earhart’s 1937 Cord 812 Phaeton Convertible became the newest member of the National Historic Vehicle Register earlier this month. The vehicle (which was sold in the years after Earhart’s disappearance) took decades to track down – as it had been disassembled, and its parts used in other vehicles. The Cord is a testament to the tenacious collector and restorer who helped put it back together, as well as the pioneering aviator herself. It is the 33rd vehicle to join the register.

Are Gen Z & Millennials Saving the Manual?

Good news for fans of the stick shift – appreciation for connected driving experiences seems to be building not waning. A new report from The Wall Street Journal using J.D. Power data shows 1.7% of car buyers this year opted for a manual transmission, a slight but noticeable increase from 1.2% last year and a low of 0.9% in 2021.

More surprising? The bump seems to be coming from “young” people.

Acura says more than half the buyers of its manual-equipped Integra fall in the 18-46 age range. Mazda narrows the gap a little more, noting that a quarter of manual Miata buyers are under the age of 35.

Mini, which just last year started selling 6-speed manuals again, commissioned a survey back in January of 1,000 drivers. In it, 53% of respondents said they wanted to learn the “important life skill” of driving stick, with those in the 18-34 range showing the most interest: 67% wanted to learn.

What’s more, The Journal describes these current manual drivers as less like budget shoppers and more like enthusiasts. The vehicles “entice younger consumers in the same way that vinyl records and point-and-shoot cameras do,” says the publication. That is, they find them intriguing – a bit of bygone tech with new appeal. Perhaps even more appeal, given the highly-automated world we currently reside in.

While this may not be enough data to draw any hardline conclusions, it is enough to warrant some trend-watching. And, frankly, whatever younger buyers’ motivation, we consider the manual uptick a small victory.

Market Alert

Speaking of small victories – did you know the average transaction price of a new vehicle finally dropped last month? According to Cox Automotive, the ATP in February 2023 rang in at $48,763, a drop of 1.4% or about $705.

Self-Possessing Fords

As if future tech wasn’t already putting people on edge, Ford recently filed a patent application for cars that can drive themselves to the impound lot if customers stop making loan payments.

According to Automotive News:

“The patent application lists a number of methods that could be used to shake down customers, starting with reminders and warnings sent to the vehicle display or a smartphone. Further nonpayment could lead to some features being disabled, including cruise control, window and seat controls, the infotainment system and climate control. The vehicle eventually could lock out the customer or play an “incessant and unpleasant sound” whenever the owner is inside it.”

We won’t deny that “Repo Man” is not exactly the safest career in 2023 America, and technology like this makes sense in a… dystopian sort of way.

But considering the increase in automotive cyberattacks (up 239% in 2022, compared to 2018), not to mention the usual hiccups posed by technology (oh, say, like when Hertz incorrectly catalogued extended rentals as stolen vehicles and a bunch of people got arrested), we’re a little leery of a vehicle with this kind of autonomy. What about you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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 check back Wednesday for a rundown of the best trucks for towing and then pop in on Friday when we unpack the latest trends on the collector car market.