Shelby’s electric SUV, Aston remakes old parts, own Brock Yates’ hot rod

Shelby’s first electric car is not for Americans

Intake: Shelby American is to sell a limited-edition upgrade package for the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, but it won’t be available in the U.S. Just 100 of the aftermarket kits will be sold in Europe, available through the small number of Shelby dealerships. “This is our first foray into a production electric vehicle, so we spent a great deal of time testing EVs on the track to understand their unique handling dynamics,” says Vince LaViolette, Shelby American vice president of operations. “Based on that experience, we lowered the SUV over an inch, cut weight off the top of it, reduced rotating mass to enhance stability, and enhanced the aerodynamics.” The Shelby Mustang Mach-E GT gets a carbon fiber hood and splitter, lightweight wheels, carbon mirror caps, plus a set of fetching racing stripes. Inside there’s carbon fiber door trim, new floor mats, and Shelby badging. The electric Shelby is also noisier than standard thanks to a Borla Active Performance Sound System that “generates a hyper-realistic ICE soundtrack that perfectly matches the EV motor status and other vehicle dynamics.” Prices for the package start at €24,900 ($27,390).

Exhaust: Not to say we called it, but … kinda. The Mach-E GT joins the Shelby line-up to celebrate the 100th birthday of Carroll Shelby but American enthusiasts needn’t fear that this defines the company’s future. “Shelby American continues to also be firmly committed to cars and trucks powered by internal combustion engines. We’ll introduce several new models over the next 12 months to keep V-8 fans revved up,” proclaims Gary Patterson, president of Shelby American. — Nik Berg

GM CEO Mary Barra’s 2022 pay worth nearly $29 million

Intake: According to Automotive News, General Motors’ top executive, Mary Barra, received a “pay package” worth almost $29 million in 2022, making her the highest-paid executive among the Detroit Big 3 for the eighth straight year. “In determining her pay,” the story said, “GM’s board of directors noted that the company achieved records for adjusting pretax earnings, global revenue, and profit-sharing for hourly workers, according to the filing.” Barra’s compensation topped the $25.6 million for Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares and the $21 million earned by Ford CEO Jim Farley.

Exhaust: Barra earned a half-percent less than she did in 2021, based mostly on an 18-percent decline in nonequity incentive compensation. GM said President Mark Reuss received compensation worth $14.4 million in 2022, up 14 percent from the prior year. Chief Financial Officer Paul Jacobson’s compensation was worth $10.2 million, a 6.9 percent increase. — Steven Cole Smith

Factory fresh parts for old Aston Martins

Intake: Aston Martin Works will sell brand new gearboxes, engine blocks, cylinder heads, and other major components so that owners can rebuild their classic cars to factory standards. The parts are available for the DB4, DB5, DB6, and a number of V-8s from the 1960s and ’70s. In some cases, it’s the first time in 50 years that parts have been available new. Every component will be supplied with supporting documentation to prove its provenance. Reach out to Aston Martin Works for more information and pricing.

Exhaust: You can thank Aston Martin’s continuation cars for these newly available components. The multi-million dollar sales of the DB4 GT, DB4 GT Zagato, and Goldfinger DB5 continuations “naturally led to the need for new parts while also generating a full understanding of which parts were immediately available and which had not been manufactured for many years,” says Aston Martin. —NB

California phasing out diesel trucks, regulates locomotives

Intake: On Friday, California regulators approved new rules requiring all medium- and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state in 2036 to be zero-emission, one day after the California Air Resources Board adopted “reduced emission regulations” for locomotives, says Reuters. Existing “Big rigs, local delivery and government fleets must transition to zero-emission by 2035, garbage trucks and local buses by 2039, and sleeper cab tractors and specialty vehicles by 2042.” As for locomotives, all switch, industrial, and passenger engines built starting in 2030 will be required to be zero-emissions, and for freight line haul beginning in 2035.

Exhaust: “With these actions requiring all new heavy-duty truck sales to be zero emission and tackling train pollution in our state, we’re one step closer to achieving healthier neighborhoods and cleaner air for all Californians,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. CARB in August voted to require all new passenger vehicles sold in the state by 2035 to be either electric or plug-in electric hybrids. — SCS

Own Brock Yates’ Eliminator hot rod

Intake: The legendary Ford Eliminator hot rod, built to race against Ferraris in the 1959 USAC Grand Prix Road Races at Pomona, California and later bought and restored by late automotive writer Brock Yates, is for sale on Bringatrailer.com. The car, which Car and Driver columnist Yates wrote about often, was the subject of his book, The Hot Rod: Resurrection of a Legend, which follows his purchase, restoration, and subsequent Pebble Beach win with the Eliminator.

Exhaust: The hot rod was the work of a Pasadena, California-based racer named Duffy Livingstone. Livingstone is most famous as the man who gave go-karting its name, says Car and Driver. Yates dearly loved the car, as he would tell anyone who asked about it. Bidding ends today, and as of this writing, it’s up to $76,013. —SCS

New problem for older Hyundai and Kia owners: Parts availability

Intake: As if the TikTok Kia challenge wasn’t enough—readers were “challenged” to steal an older, key-operated Kia or Hyundai with just a screwdriver and a USB cable—owners of recovered cars “are waiting months” for replacement parts, ABC News reports. “Many of the cars are recovered within a few days after the thieves are done with their joyrides.” Often a window is broken “and the steering column is damaged or destroyed, making those parts the hardest to find.”

Exhaust: Twenty-three states have called on automakers to “take swift and comprehensive action” to curb the rise in thefts. In Minneapolis, thefts of Kia and Hyundais increased by 836 percent in 2022 over 2021. In St. Louis County, thefts surged 1,090 percent from 2021 to 2022. As a result, owners of the affected Kias and Hyundais are finding it difficult to get insurance. — SCS

The first of the R34-generation Nissan Skylines are now legal for U.S. import

Intake: JDM fans, rejoice: As of today, the first of the R34-generation (1998–2005) Nissan Skylines are now legal for import. The R34 Skyline (and all previous generations) were never sold legally in the American market, which means that they were subject to the U.S. 25-year import rule. The fine print of the 25-year rule makes today extra special; that 25-year clock is measured down to the specific month that a given type of vehicle was first manufactured. Full-scale production for the R34 Skyline began in—you guessed it—May of 1998.

However, this doesn’t mean it’s open season on all things Skyline. The R34 Skyline GT-R, the one that most fans picture when they think of this generation, didn’t enter production until January of 1999, so there’s still some waiting to be done to get ahold of the premier R34s. The variants that are eligible now are the more staid versions, such as the GT-T, a coupe-style body that had a turbocharged 2.5-liter inline-six engine.

Exhaust: Whether you first fell in love with the R34 playing Gran Turismo or watching 2Fast 2Furious, the love affair with this JDM legend was often instant and intense. Occasionally, that led to some folks importing R34s here prematurely (read: illegally) or perhaps getting a very special variant stateside through a show-and-display exemption. Now that the first R34s are cresting that 25-year hill, you can almost hear the collective relaxation from the Skyline community. — Greg Ingold