Chevy overwhelmed by Colorado Trail Boss orders, hypercar horde hits L.A., the street’s baddest Z06

Overwhelmed by Colorado Trail Boss orders, Chevy calls a halt

Intake: When Chevrolet announced a Trail Boss package for the 2022 Colorado earlier this year, we predicted that it would be an immediate base hit with the today’s off-road-obsessed audience. Perhaps we should have guessed “out-of-the-park homer.” According to a new report from GM Authority, Chevrolet received three times its projected yearly orders … in a single month. Though the Bowtie is undoubtedly thrilled about the positive response, it’s paused orders for the Colorado’s trail-happy trim to buy itself some time to strategize. The Trail Boss package includes underbody armor, a one-inch leveling kit for the front of the vehicle, red recovery hooks, and 17-inch high-gloss black alloy wheels.

Exhaust: While the Colorado ZR2 remains one of the best midsize pickups in the game, it carries a price tag—and a few on-road compromises—to match. The Trail Boss is the Goldilocks offering in the Colorado line. Let’s hope GM can scavenge the materials needed; this trail-ready pickup won’t get any less appealing, even if it’s momentarily unavailable.

Kia dreams of a family-sized electric SUV

Intake: Kia has trickled out the first images of its latest concept, a generously-sized and battery-powered SUV. The EV9 previews what an all-electric family hauler might look like in the Korean marque’s lineup—but, as a design exercise, the EV9 sports some rather unorthodox features. The steering yoke, for instance, is probably not a feature that most suburban parents crave. The “stunning interactive ultra-wide display” is more likely to become a reality.

Exhaust: It’s easy to roll our eyes at a family-sized SUV whose interior purports to be a “lounge space,” but the smash-hit Telluride proves thats Kia knows what American buyers want and can execute their wishes to a T. The combustion-powered Telluride is setting a high standard indeed for an electric counterpart, whenever that may arrive.

Petersen Automotive Museum announces Hypercar exhibit

Intake: Starting December 14, the Petersen Automotive Museum will host Hypercars: The Allure of the Extreme that will feature up to 30 vehicles in rotation that “highlight what hypercars stand for and why they continue to captivate the global automotive community.” The cars confirmed so far include the Aria FXE concept, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Caparo T1, Devel Sixteen, Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta, Hennessey Venom F5 (design model), Koenigsegg Agera RS Final Edition, Laraki Sahara, McLaren Speedtail, NIO EP9, Delage D12, Pagani Huayra Hermes Edition, RAESR Tachyon Speed, and Rimac Concept One. Two motorcycles will also be a part of the exhibit—a Lotus C-01 and Aston Martin AMB 001. A Czinger 21C will make occasional, brief appearances and will be on display for the last two weeks of December 2021.

Exhaust: The Petersen Museum always manages to curate fantastic displays and this stunning collection of impressive engineering and design sounds like a fitting replacement for the James Hetfield collection that previously used the space.

Radford Lotus 62-2 interior fuses retro and modern

Intake: The cabin design of the Radford Lotus 62-2 has been revealed and it treads a beautiful balance between the past and the present. The interior features lightweight materials, an exposed gear linkage and bespoke Bremont timepieces, which would be just the thing for impressing friends on a hot lap of Laguna Seca. Pictured here in John Player Special livery, with its predominantly black design decorated with gold accents, those color schemes are carried across to the cabin, with black leather, carbon-fiber trim and gold accents for the stitching and sports seats. The steering wheel does exactly what it needs to and no more. Devoid of any additional switches, it serves only to change direction, while an exposed gear linkage also announces its intent. Beautifully hand-crafted switches take care of minor controls. All that said, Radford isn’t stuck in the past, with on-board tech including small screens to replace mirrors and a six-inch digital display ahead of the driver. There’s also a dock for your smartphone, a five-speaker audio system and both Bluetooth and wifi connectivity.

Exhaust: What a joy it is to see a steering wheel without a sea of buttons and haptic-feedback controls. Anyone would think that it’s only there for driving. Such a statement speaks volumes about how the team behind Radford wants to put the focus back on driving for driving’s sake. Good job guys.

Ferrari builds one-of-a-kind BR20

Intake: When money is no object and even limited-production hypercars don’t do it for you, then Ferrari’s One-Off program is here to help. The latest car to be created under this bespoke build scheme is called the BR20 and is underpinned by the workings of the sadly-departed GTC4 Lusso. The love-it or “loave-it” breadvan rear end has been replaced with a rakish fastback, complete with sculpted aero channels that its designers say are a modern take on the flying buttress theme. The rear end features a pair of twin tail lights, matched by tailpipes below. There’s a large rear diffuser and active flaps on the underbody to aid aerodynamics. A wide grille with horizontal slats features, while the headlamps are set lower which helps give the hood a longer look. 20-inch diamond-finish alloy wheels complete the exterior look. Inside the biggest change is the removal of the rear seats which are replaced by a luggage deck, while the trim is all Heritage Testa di Moro leather with silver cross stitching to match the paintwork. Mechanically the all-wheel-drive V-12 powertrain has been left as standard so perhaps we’ll see this car climbing the mountain roads of Aspen or Gstaad.

Exhaust: The B in BR20 may as well stand for Billionaire because this Ferrari won’t have come cheap, but as car lovers we can’t help but admire what happens when OEM designers are given free rein and wild budgets to conjure up dream machines like this and the Rolls-Royce Boat Tail.

Jake Rozelle and his 2003 Corvette Z06 claim 2021 Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational title

Intake: After coming just one point away from taking the win last year, Jake Rozelle took the win at the Optima Ultimate Street Car Invitational, a multi-discipline test that crowns a winner each year following the SEMA show. “Winning this trophy takes a lot of skill, takes a good car, and takes a little bit of luck,” said Rozelle. “I’ve been working at this for eight seasons and I came so close last year, so to come back and win this year is huge. I work on this car more than anybody knows and to finally have it all come together means a lot.”

Exhaust: Rozelle’s win marks the seventh win for a Corvette in the event’s 14 years and proves that the C5 Z06 can compete with some of the top performance street cars with some smart modifications and a skilled driver.