Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
US Traffic Deaths Rise Over 10 Percent Reaching A 16-Year High In 2021, But There’s An Explanation
With nearly 43,000 losing their lives in road accidents in 2021, traffic fatalities are at a 16-year high, according to the NHTSA. That’s a significant 10.5 percent increase from the year before. There’s one explanation for the jump in figures, though, and it’s that the estimated total vehicle miles traveled were about 325 billion miles higher than in 2020. With that factored in, fatalities would have decreased by 0.01 percent. That’s not to say that there isn’t room for improvement, though.
The 2023 BMW 3-Series Facelift Proves That Good Looking Bimmers Can Exist Today
The 2023 BMW 3-Series brings a subtle facelift that, surprise surprise, doesn’t look awful. The lights are now slimmer and less fussy, with the graphics changed to an “inverted L” shape, and the grille gets tweaked contours and double bars. There are new wheel designs and colors to select from, while the interior is brought in line with the rest of BMW’s latest models with iDrive 8 and the Curved Display. All U.S-market 3-Series will now be built in Mexico, while engine and performance figures stay the same.
New F1 Edition Package For Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E Performance Will Cost You Nearly €24,000
The 55th-anniversary celebrations continue for Mercedes-AMG with the launch of the GT 63 S E Performance F1 Edition. Once that mouthful of a name is out of the way, you’ll notice that the vehicle’s drivetrain remains untouched — although the car remains the brand’s most powerful production model to date with 831 hp (620 kW / 843 PS) and more than 1,032 lb-ft (1,400 Nm) of torque. The F1 Package brings with it an exclusive Manufaktur alpine grey exterior with AMG lettering as well as a color gradient that fades from grey to black. There’s also the AMG Aerodynamics package, AMG Night and Night II packages, 21-inch forged wheels with a matte black finish and a unique car cover.
First announced in 2017, the Tesla Semi hasn’t had much fanfare since. But now, prospective customers can put down a $20,000 deposit for the Semi. That’s all well and good, but there’s nothing in the fine print to indicate any production timeline for the Semi, while the price hasn’t been updated since the unveiling five years ago.
Hoonipigasus Is Ken Block’s 1,400 HP Porsche 911-Based Racecar For Pikes Peak
Ken Block and the Hoonigan Racing Division have unveiled their tribute to classic Porsches of old. Parodying the legendary “Pink Pig,” the Hoonipigasus will be driven by Block in the Pikes Peak Open class. Built by BBi Autosport, it features a 1,400 hp flat-six engine mounted in the middle with all-wheel drive. The eyecatching racecar weighs just 1,000 kg (2,205 lbs), and the suspension is height-adjustable based on GPS data, using telemetry for the previous year’s race.
Ford Thunderbird Rumored To Be Returning As (Indirect) Corvette Rival
A report from Ford Authority claims that the Blue Oval is considering a revival of the Thunderbird to do battle, indirectly, with the Chevrolet Corvette. That means that any possible plan to revive the Thunderbird could see the name return attached to a large GT of some sort, offering a halo car that’s not quite gunning for the C8 Corvette. There are still many questions surrounding a return of the Thunderbird name, such as how many seats it would have and, perhaps more importantly, whether or not it would be an EV.
The Driver Of This McLaren 720S In Mexico Has Had Much Better Days
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Supercar crashes rarely bring joy to anyone, and despite details not being abundantly clear in this scenario, our heart goes out to the owner of this wrecked McLaren 720S. The aftermath of the accident was captured in Toluca, Mexico, with the force of the impact enough to rip off the driver’s side rear wheel, taking with it the brake disc, caliper, and many suspension components.
What Else Is Making The News
F1 Won’t Replace The Russian GP
Formula 1 announced that the Russian Grand Prix would not be replaced on the 2022 calendar, with the total number of races revised from 23 to 22. Venues that had been rumored to be in the frame to stand in were Sepang, Malaysia, and Qatar, which will start a 10-year stint as an F1 venue from 2023. There had also been rumors that Singapore was interested in hosting a day/night race the week before its existing GP slot.
Netflix Cuts 150 Jobs Amidst Subscriber Slump
unfortunately i, too, was affected by the netflix layoffs today. it was a wild ride and i'm really proud of the work that i did, particularly being part of the @netflixgolden launch, and feel v. lucky i got to work with such brilliant people
— Madelyn Chung 鍾舒華✨ (@madelynchung) May 17, 2022
Netflix has announced that it is laying off 150 staff, less than a month after the streaming service announced its first loss of subscribers in a decade. The redundancies will affect about 2 percent of the North American workforce, with the Los Angeles Times reporting that recruiting, communications, and content departments were all affected.