No GM Bronco rival, lifted Lambo hits slopes, Hot Wheels’ ’66 Nova stunner

GM: No gas-powered Bronco rival coming

Intake: Speaking to The Drive at the Daytona 500, GM president Mark Reuss said that his company won’t be pursuing a gas-powered rival to the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wrangler. According to Reuss, there are a few reasons—first and foremost, he doesn’t see an advantage to GM being the last of the Big Three to enter the body-on-frame 4×4 space, behind Jeep and then Ford. Reuss also said that the emissions from such a vehicle would unnecessarily harm GM’s corporate average fuel economy (CAFE), saying that the reason Ford has to sell the Maverick in hybrid form is that the Bronco has such an impact on Ford’s CAFE numbers. He didn’t rule an eventual battery-powered off-road vehicle out of the picture, however. The Blazer, a name that was historically associated with a body-on-frame 4×4, currently adorns the hood of a stylish but streets-first crossover SUV that will soon morph into a decidedly road-focused EV, so we’re not sure what it would be called.

Exhaust: Assuming that the Maverick only exists in hybrid form to help Ford’s CAFE ratings seems a bit bold, as Ford can’t keep up with demand for that thing, but Reuss’ reasoning still holds water. So does the disinterest in being the last of the Big Three to a market segment. Still, we’re a bit dismayed to hear that. GM’s off-road trucks are quite impressive, and we’d bet that those Chevy and GMC engineers could come up with a sweet machine if given the chance. Guess we’ll hold out hope that a battery-powered off-roader arrives from Chevy someday. — Nathan Petroelje

Genesis prices electric GV70

Intake: Genesis is bringing the electric version of the GV70 to market. The Electrified GV70 Advanced AWD will start under $66,000—or $65,850 to be precise, not including the destination fee. The Prestige model, with Nappa leather, upgraded stereo, and other features will start at $72,650. Both models are all-wheel-drive. The electric model will be built at Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant, the first time a U.S. Genesis model will be built outside South Korea. Both electric models will have dual 160-kW motors, one at each end, and a 77.4-kWh lithium-ion battery. The car will be underpinned by the same E-GMP platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6, and the Genesis GV60. “The electrified G70 represents two important milestones as we continue on our journey toward full electrification by 2030,” said Claudia Marquez, chief operating officer of Genesis Motor North America. “We are pleased to not only be growing our electric product portfolio, but also to be assembling Genesis products right here in America for the very first time.”

Exhaust: Genesis can seem to do no wrong right now. The GV70 is priced near or below the competition, and if the interior experience is anything like the gasoline-powered GV70, we expect it to be impressive. — Steven Cole Smith

Watch the Lamborghini Huracàn Sterrato hit the slopes

Intake: If the line is looking a little long at the ski lift, just make sure you’ve got a Lamborghini Huracàn Sterrato to hand. In a new video, the Raging Bull becomes more of a snow pony as it hauls a freestyle skier up a slope in the Italian Alps. The pair then race back down the mountain, kicking up clouds of white stuff as they carve turns on their descent. There’s even time for some snownuts at the end. It’s an entertaining 60-odd seconds of ice magic, and more proof of the Sterrato’s all-terrain agility.

Exhaust: Take note future Sterrato and 911 Dakar owners, these machines have been designed to be driven: any time, any place, any how. They might look good in your climate-controlled collection, but they look even better when put to use out in the most extreme elements. — Nik Berg

Dodge Ram REV reservations closed in less than a week

Intake: It’s either the power of a good Super Bowl ad, or a pent-up demand for an electric Ram pickup, but the order books for the new Ram REV opened and closed in just five days, following the truck’s debut in a 60-second ad on the Super Bowl February 12. Reservations for the truck, which won’t be available until the fourth quarter of 2024, could be made by putting up a refundable $100 deposit for a place in line. “Membership has reached max capacity,” the reservation page read on Friday, “due to high demand.” The form then asked for a zip code and email address to alert consumers “when the doors open up again.”

Exhaust: Ram isn’t saying how high that demand was, but it’s still indicative of the fact that even though Ram is late with the REV compared to the Ford Lightning and the electric  Chevrolet Silverado/GMC Sierra, as well as the Rivian R1T pickup, there’s a group of Mopar loyalists willing to wait on their chosen brand. — SCS

’66 Nova is the latest Hot Wheels Red Line Club creation

Intake: In a perfect world, everyone has the garage space for a sinister 1966 Chevy Nova with a blower motor and wild graphics. In reality, however, space is finite, which is what makes the newest release from the Hot Wheels Red Line Club (RLC) so special. This ’66 Nova was designed by Larry Wood as an ultimate expression of Chevy’s stubby street rod. Red Line Club cars are Hot Wheels’ most detailed offerings, and they are extremely popular among the collector crowd. This ’66 Nova harkens back to the Southern California Pro Street days of the ‘70s and ‘80s, with Spectraflame Blue paint and wild yellow, orange, and red graphics. Details include Real Riders Drag Strip Demon drag wheels, Goodyear marks on the rear tires, that wild blower motor out the front, and more. The car will release at 9 a.m. PT (Noon ET) today, and it’s expected to sell out in minutes, even with the two-per-customer limit.

Exhaust: Interested in signing up for the Hot Wheels Red Line Club? The annual fee is just $9.99, and you’ll get access to exclusive models like this Nova, as well as the ability to vote on new collectible releases, behind-the-scenes content, and more. Just click this link to join. With Hot Wheels increasing in popularity as collector items, the RLC seems like the type of car club we should all want to join. — Nathan Petroelje

Caddy’s smallest SUV gets a big touchscreen

Intake: For the XT4’s fifth year on the market, Cadillac is giving the tiny luxury pod a few cosmetic upgrades. The visage is newly chiseled, with boomerang-shaped headlights and stacked daytime-running lights reminiscent of those on the bigger, battery-powered Lyriq. The most obvious change is inside, where the 8-inch display that jutted above the dash’s center is replaced by a 33-inch affair that integrates the instrument panel and the touch-activate display for audio/navigation/vehicle setting duties. A few more changes lie further down the options list: the premium audio option is no longer made by Bose but by AKG. The Lyriq’s Emerald Lake Metallic paint—a deep sort of grey-hued teal—is now offered on its little sibling, which remains powered by the familiar, 235-hp turbo four-cylinder backed by a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Exhaust: Were Cadillac actively invested in the XT4, these changes would probably have occurred in 2020 or 2021, the vehicle’s second or third year on the market, and we’d be now seeing major mechanical and/or aesthetic overhauls. Don’t blame Cadillac: It has only seven more years to fulfill its promise of an all-electric lineup. — Grace Houghton

NASCAR was founded 75 years ago today

Intake: At the bar on the roof of the Streamline Hotel in downtown Daytona Beach, on February 21, 1948, the National Association for Stock Car Racing was born, birthed by a group of businessmen led by Bill France, Sr., a gas station owner who dabbled in promoting auto races, and raced a bit himself. There were multiple small organizations that promoted racing, but none were particularly effective, and France thought there was a market for a sanctioning body with one set of rules and a firm schedule. He was obviously correct. The last person who attended that meeting died several years ago, but as NASCAR showed with a sellout crowd of over 100,000 last Sunday, the 65th running of the Daytona 500, France was on firm ground.

Exhaust: The France family, led by “Big Bill’s” son, Jim, still controls NASCAR, and the future is as bright as ever as auto racing is rebounding from the pandemic with a vengeance. NASCAR made a lot of millionaires, but it made the France family billionaires, and there’s no evidence it’s slowing down. — SCS