Good morning and welcome to our weekly digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Trump’s ‘TRUTH’ Social Media App Features Fake Chevy Trucks Accounts That GM Disavows
With the Trump-backed TRUTH social media platform already creating headlines, GM was forced to deny that it has control over an account that seemed to promote Chevrolet trucks. They weren’t alone, with Fox News, The New York Times, Variety, and TechCrunch all depicted with fake accounts on the network.
2023 Corvette Z06 Is The Ultimate C8 With A Furious Sounding 670 HP Flat-Plane Crank V8
After some rather revealing official teaser images, the track-inspired 2023 Corvette Z06 was unveiled this week. It features a naturally aspirated 670 HP all-aluminum engine that has been designed to be more responsive than any turbocharged unit could. To achieve this, it features a double-overhead-cam V8 with a lightweight crankshaft design and a relatively short stroke. There’s also a dry sump for the demands of on-track lubrication, and Chevrolet claims it has been tested at circuits across the world in the C8.R race car.
2022 Mercedes-AMG SL Breaks Cover With 2+2 Seats, Fabric Top, AWD, And Up To 577 HP
It’s only the seventh time it happened in the model’s long history, but the Mercedes-AMG SL has been redesigned from the ground up. This time, it features all-wheel drive as standard, as well as a return to the 2+2 seating layout that hasn’t been seen on the model for three decades. A plug-in hybrid is on the way, but from launch, you’ll be able to choose from a pair of 4.0-liter V8s, with the top-spec SL 63 outputting 577 hp for a 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time of 3.6 seconds.
2022 Range Rover Lands With BMW V8 And Noise-Cancelling Headrests, PHEV And EV Coming 2023
Although there’s no denying the design similarity with the outgoing car, the new Range Rover is an entirely new model that rides on a new platform. In the future, it’ll be powered by ICE, PHEV, and EV powertrains, while there’s also the possibility of a hydrogen fuel-cell variant as well. For now, you get the Ingenium line of six-cylinder engines, with a V8 option from BMW thrown into the mix as well.
Marcello Gandini, the designer of the original Lamborghini Countach, has spoken out against the new Countach LPI 800-4, claiming that it “does not reflect his spirit and his vision.” Gandini says that he was unaware that the scale model presented within a promotional video was the design basis for a production car.
Stealthy 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost Black Badge Wears 100 Lbs Of World’s Darkest Black Paint
When Rolls Royce introduced the Black Badge sub-brand five years ago, they wanted to appeal to a different set of clientele — trendier, hipper, and more youthful. Now, one in every four cars sold is from the Black Badge line, so it makes sense that the second generation Ghost has been given the same treatment. It comes with model-specific paint (if you so choose) that is the darkest black available on a production car. The dark treatment is extended to the brightwork, while the 21-inch wheels are created from 44 layers of carbon fiber.
Toyota has revealed the production-ready bZ4X electric SUV. Expected to arrive in mid-2022, the first of seven bZ-branded cars will be available in both front- and all-wheel drive configurations. It features a 355-Volt lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 71.4 kWh. Range is approximately 500 km (311 miles) for the FWD variant and 460 km (286 miles) for the heavier AWD.
2022 Dodge Charger And Challenger Gain Hemi Orange And SRT Black Packages
Dodge is attempting to keep the Charger and Challenger fresh by introducing Hemi Orange and SRT Black packages. The Hemi Orange package pays tribute to the iconic engine by incorporating orange accents inspired by early Hemis, with similar orange accents found inside. The SRT Black package is available on Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye versions of the muscle cars. It costs $695 and adds blacked-out badging as well as black nickel exhaust tips.
https://twitter.com/GrindFaceTV/status/1450690350129958912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450690350129958912%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.carscoops.com%2F2021%2F10%2Fdashcam-shows-thieves-stealing-backpacks-from-cars-in-san-francisco%2F
Between May 2020 and May 2021, San Francisco’s Central District has seen a 753 percent increase in car break-ins. It would appear that thieves are seemingly getting more brazen, as the above dashcam footage show a thief grabbing backpacks from two parked cars in broad daylight. San Francisco Mayor London Breed recently announced a privately funded reward of up to $100,000 leading to the arrest and conviction of persons involved in organized crime rings.
What Else Is Making The News
Facebook Rebrands Itself As “Meta”
Facebook’s corporate name has been changed to Meta. It’s part of a major rebrand that will see the company reach beyond social media and move into more virtual reality projects. Like the parent company of Google and several subsidiaries, which became Alphabet, the name change won’t affect individual platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
Keanu Reeves Gifts Stunt Team Rolexes
Keanu Reeves gifted the 'John Wick 4' stunt team $10K Rolex watches to thank them for their work on the film ⌚️
📷 Watchmania pic.twitter.com/medDb4jQpm
— ScreenTime (@screentime) October 26, 2021
The “nicest guy in Hollywood,” Keanu Reeves, has gifted a steel Rolex Submariner to each of the four stunt team members behind John Wick 4 as a thank you at a dinner in Paris. Each watch was engraved with a personalized message. Retail prices for the steel Submariners are estimated at over $10,000 per piece, but they are almost impossible to find due to high demand and are actually trading much higher in the grey market due to the model’s scarcity.