Subaru sets 2022 WRX debut date, an electronique Citroën DS, new Tundra TRD Pro gets crawly
Subaru’s new WRX will break cover in New York next month
Intake: Subaru has confirmed that its 2022 WRX sport sedan will break cover at the New York International Auto Show on Thursday, August 19. While details are scant, the picture above shows a relatively compact four-door slinging dust, evoking the rally heroes in the WRX’s ancestry. A Subaru website devoted to the WRX makes mention of upgrades to the engine, suspension, and styling. We’d expect a similar version of the turbocharged 2.0-liter boxer flat-four in the current WRX to appear in the new one, likely with a few more horsepower and lb-ft of torque than the 268 hp and 258 lb-ft on tap currently.
Exhaust: The WRX enthusiast crowd is one of the most vibrant and passionate groups among young car fans. Seeing that Subaru is stepping up for another round with this rally-lite machine is encouraging. While we’re not anticipating a full reinvention of the wheel here—budgets wouldn’t allow for such a thing—we’re looking forward to seeing the new WRX and, more importantly, driving it.
This Citroën DS is electronique
Intake: British classic car electro-restomod firm Electrogenic has switched the Citroën DS over to battery power. Out goes the original two-liter four-cylinder and in comes a Hyper9 brushless electric motor with 122 hp. Intriguingly, the original column shift gearbox manual is retained, as is the legendary “magic carpet ride” hydropneumatic suspension. Now powered by a new electric pump, it can’t sap too much power as the DS has a claimed range of 140 miles from its 48.5-kWh battery pack. A larger battery promises to extend driving distance to 200 miles, and a built-in 29-kW charger enables a full charge in two hours. Electrogenic Co-Founder Steve Drummond says: “With our conversions, the aim is always to enhance the original characteristics of the car. In this respect, the Citroën DS was ideally suited to an electric conversion–the silent powertrain adds to the serene driving experience and fits perfectly with the character of the car.”
Exhaust: Let’s be honest, the engine of the Citroën DS was always the weakest link in this bold, futuristic, and beautiful machine. Replacing it with a silent-running electric motor actually seems quite fitting for the forward-looking Frenchie.
2022 Toyota TRD Pro: Hello, red camo seats and crawl control
Intake: Thanks to a 12-second video sneak peek from Toyota, we now know that the 2022 Tundra TRD Pro will boast red seats—which appear to be leather-like—with perforated camo center sections, along with a crawl control mode for low-speed downhill maneuvering accessed via a quartet of console-mounted button on the right of the gear shifter. Wireless charging is also apparently on the options list, but we’re hoping that’s standard on this long-awaited pickup.
Exhaust: Whatever your thoughts may be on the 2022 Tundra’s blocky figure and gaping maw, Toyota’s full-sizer is in desperate need of revitalization. We know an all-new iForce engine is on its way, probably a hybrid or N/A V-6; hopefully crawl control signals a robust suite of off-road goodies for the TRD Pro model.
Save the date: Radford Project 62 to be unveiled August 7
Intake: The reborn Radford car company is set to reveal its Project 62 in Los Angeles and online on August 7. Designed around modern Lotus technology, the car is a coachbuilt homage to the Lotus Type 62 and will be available with classic Gold Leaf Team Lotus livery after Radford acquired the trademark. Gold Leaf famously became the first Formula 1 sponsor when its logo adorned the Type 49B Lotus of Graham Hill in 1968. Project 62, which will be limited to 62 examples, will make its debut at the Lyon Air Museum in Orange County, California, in front of a small audience and the event will also be streamed. Jenson Button—part-owner alongside Ant Anstead, Mark Stubbs, and Roger Behle—says: “We hope that you will all be able to join us digitally at the Lyon Air Museum on the 7th of August as we reveal our first car to the world. It’s going to be an amazing event, and trust me, the car is going to be worth the wait—it’s a car unlike anything you will have seen before.”
Exhaust: Button and his chums are certainly building the hype for the Project 62. We won’t have long to wait to see if this new Radford is as radical as they claim.
