Tesla Roadster zapped by delays, The Iceman retireth, Bond-flavored Defender V8
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Tesla Roadster zapped by (yet more) delays
Intake: The much-hyped Tesla Roadster had been delayed until 2023 at the earliest. When it was first revealed in 2017, Elon Musk said the car would be delivered in 2020 and wannabe buyers plunked down deposits between $50,000 and $250,000. Now in their fourth year of waiting, the Teslarati must be even more patient. Like so many car makers Tesla has been hit hard by the chip shortage and COVID-19, and Musk says these factors have pushed the Roadster even further down the road. “2021 has been the year of super crazy supply chain shortages, so it wouldn’t matter if we had 17 new products, as none would ship. Assuming 2022 is not mega drama, new Roadster should ship in 2023,” Musk says. On the plus side, since the Roadster was first announced, its specification has become more and more insane, with a SpaceX cold-air thruster setup to rocket the car to 60 mph in just 1.1 seconds.
Exhaust: Are you really surprised? Elon Musk has a habit of missing his deadlines, but the company’s halo car is the one that has seen the most setbacks as Tesla focuses on making good on tens of thousands of Cybertruck orders in 2022.
Alas, The Iceman retireth
Intake: Kimi Räikkönen, affectionately known as The Iceman, will retire from Formula 1 at the end of this season. In an Instagram post announcing the decision, The Iceman revealed that he had made the decision last winter but had kept quiet until now. The Finnish driver is currently the most experienced driver in F1, with 344 Grands Prix, 19 seasons, 21 victories, and one remarkable World Championship under his belt. Räikkönen got his start in 2001 with the Sauber F1 Team but has been a part of most of the major constructors’ teams at one point or another in his long tenure behind the wheel. His crowning achievement came as a Ferrari driver in 2007, when he bested squabbling McLaren teammates Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to nab the World Championship in the final race of the year, beating each driver by just one championship point.
Exhaust: There is exactly nobody like Kimi in Formula 1. His dry humor, curt interview answers, and stoic demeanor are as countercultural as it gets in the highly corporatized world of the globe’s top racing series. Rather than ask him to wear a bigger smile and slip in a few more sponsor names, the racing community embraced him for who he was: An endearing, quiet wheelman with a wry smile and massive pace. Thanks for the memories, Iceman. The world can never replace you.
Bond Edition V8 Defender is heavy on emotion—and the wallet
Intake: Want to get in on the airborne Land Rover party that is No Time to Die? LR’s SV Bespoke edition has got you covered. 300 V-8-powered Defenders are getting the Bond Edition treatment, though only the four-door 110 will be available stateside. On the outside, that means all the black trim available (including 22-inch gloss black rims), with pops of color given by Xenon Blue front brake calipers. Most of the explicit Bond nods are tucked inside: on the illuminated DEFENDER | 007 tread plates and a glitzy animation on the Pivi Pro infotainment screen. Cost is a bit of an, erm, gut punch: You’ll pay nearly $13K over the base price of a Defender V8 110, which is already a tick over $100K.
Exhaust: Even as aesthetic-only special editions go, the Bond-flavored Defender V8 demands an exorbitant amount of cash for a light dose of physical changes. But supercharged V8s and James Bond movies and cool black Landies are a seriously potent cocktail. We honestly can’t be mad.
Genesis is latest luxury brand to scheme an all-electric portfolio
Intake: The Genesis luxury brand officially released a vision for its electrified future. The plan is comprised of a two-prong approach—fuel cell and battery-only—beginning in 2025. It will become a zero-emission, fully electric automaker by 2030 and aim to be carbon-neutral by 2035. Two new vehicles will also join the fold in the next decade.
Exhaust: As institutions globally mandate electric powertrains while EV prices remain lofty, it’s only natural for the luxury automakers to be first on the all-electric bandwagon. With this announcement, Genesis joins the ranks of Jaguar, Bentley, Cadillac, Lincoln, and Volvo. The GV60 isn’t the sexiest beginning to Genesis’ battery-powered future, but we’re crossing our fingers that the gorgeous, electric X Concept revealed this spring (and shown above) will become reality.
Savor the delightful details on the Jaguar C-Type Continuation
Intake: 70 years from its Le Mans-winning debut, Jaguar has completed the first of a limited run of C-Type Continuation cars. The new-old Jaguars are actually modeled on the later 1953 car (which also won Le Mans) and are powered by a 3.4-liter straight-six with triple Weber carburetors and 223 hp. Notably, the Continuation cars also feature disc brakes, which were introduced in 1952. The almost-liquid shape was designed by Malcolm Sayer who used previous aerospace experience and a whole lot of math to create the C-Type’s sensuous curves. Underpinning the car is a drilled tubular steel chassis, while Panhard rod suspension sits out back. The recreation by Jaguar Classic relied on a mix of modern 3D CAD and traditional coachbuilding skills, materials, and parts. Jaguar sourced reconditioned original components such as the Lucas fuse box and mirrors, recreated the Hadura trim for the cockpit, cut the unique Rexine finish on the dashboard and side panels from the last remaining roll, and tapped Bridge of Weir for the leather on the bucket seats. The continuation-spec C-Types are FIA-approved to compete in historic race series and Jaguar is promising a special race-themed event for owners in 2022. Jaguar originally built 53 C-Types and only eight continuations are to be assembled.
Exhaust: Whether you approve of continuation cars or not, there’s no denying the craftsmanship that has gone into the C-Type. Enjoy the glorious gallery above or configure your own on Jaguar’s website.
GM hits pause on nearly all North American assembly plants due to chip shortage
Intake: General Motors will idle nearly all its North American assembly plants starting next Monday, due to still more semiconductor shortages as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s supply chain disruptions. According to The Detroit Free Press, the plants that will remain open at least through next week include Arlington Assembly in Texas, which is home to the General’s highly profitable full-size SUVs; Flint Assembly, home of the Heavy-Duty pickups; Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky, home of the Corvette; and some of the Lansing Grand River plant where Camaros and some Cadillac Blackwing cars are made. Most of the affected plants are expected to be down for roughly two weeks, according to details a Chevrolet spokesperson shared with the Free Press.
Exhaust: Supply chain woes continue for automakers across the board. While this specific bit news focuses on GM, practically every automaker feeling the squeeze of the microchip shortage. Big SUVs and pickups are cash cows, so any automaker struggling to complete assembly has to be feeling the hurt.
