Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Ford, GM, Mercedes, Volvo, BYD, JLR Commit To End ICE Production By 2040
Six major car manufacturers have pledged to stop producing fossil-fuel-powered vehicles by 2040. Ford, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Volvo, BYD, and Jaguar Land Rover made the announcement during the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Greenpeace Germany isn’t happy, though, with concerns raised that more manufacturers didn’t add their names to the list. Notable absentees include Volkswagen AG, Toyota, Nissan, Honda, BMW, and Hyundai, among others.
2023 Acura Integra Prototype Relaunches Iconic Nameplate, Will Start From Around $30,000
The design of the new Acura Integra was finally revealed, with the five-door Civic-based hatchback looking like a smaller TLX with a liftback. While it might not be the reimagination some had hoped for, it remains an inoffensive and somewhat striking design, with plenty of neat features. There are the JewelEye LED headlights with distinctive ‘Chicane’ LED DRLs, a subtle embossed Integra script, matte-finish 19-inch split-five spoke wheels with Brembo high-performance brakes and Indy Yellow calipers. Acura has confirmed the Integra will be fitted with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, presumably lifted out of the Civic Si. Like the Si, it features a six-speed manual and LSD.
Retro-Influenced BR20 Is Ferrari’s Latest One-Off Special
Ferrari has taken the wraps off its latest one-off special. Christened the BR20, it’s based on the GTC4 Lusso but adopts a sleek, fastback design that is inspired by cars such as the 410 Superamerica and 500 Superfast. It’s complete with flying buttresses and classically-styled circular rear lamps. Ferrari hasn’t disclosed who commissioned the car, or what the “BR” in the name stands for, though you might speculate that the letters could be the initials of the “longstanding client” that was apparently fully involved in the design process for their very special car.
UAW Official Charged For Embezzling More Than $2 Million In Union Funds
Another worker at UAW has been charged as the long-running corruption investigation rolls on. This time UAW Local 41 Financial Secretary/Treasurer Tim Edmunds has been charged with embezzling more than $2 million in union funds, money laundering, and spending funds on personal shopping sprees. The 53-year-old is said to have drained union accounts of roughly 2 million using the group’s credit cards for personal purchases, cashing local checks, and transferring money into his accounts. If convicted, he faces more than 20 years in federal prison.
2022 Mahindra Roxor Introduced, Now Looks Like A Jeep In The Witness Protection Program
What is effectively a facelift, the 2022 Mahindra Roxor is the latest version of the controversial Jeep lookalike, which is now offered to American customers after a lengthy legal battle with the Stellantis-owned off-road maker. It now sports a more generic-looking front-end. The 2022 Roxor is available in open cab Base and enclosed cab All-Weather configurations. It has 62 hp from a 2.5-liter diesel engine, with a top speed of just 55 mph (88 km/h).
2022 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Spied Completely Undisguised Ahead Of Imminent Debut
Our spies have snapped Porsche’s upcoming 718 Cayman GT4 RS sans any disguises. The aggressive body kit goes one step further than the Cayman GT4 and features a prominent splitter and larger side fins. There are NACA-style intakes on the bonnet, and the front fenders have integrated gills. The wheels have race-style center-locks, and there are extra cooling intakes where the rear quarter windows used to be.
What Else Is Making The News
Elon Musk Sells $5bn Of Tesla Shares
Elon Musk has sold around $5bn (£3.7bn) of shares in the electric carmaker. However, it’s reported that documents show that about a fifth of the shares was sold based on a pre-arranged trading plan set up in September. His move comes as Democrats have proposed a “Billionaires Tax,” which would tax the richest on unrealized gains, including unsold stock.
World’s Only USB-C iPhone Sells For $86,001
The world’s first, and so far only, USB-C iPhone has sold on eBay for a winning bid of $86,001. A robotics engineer, Ken Pillonel, replaced the iPhone X’s lighting port with a USB-C port which was reported to be fully functional. Many had expected Apple to adopt USB-C into their phone, with it being present on their iPad and MacBook products. However, it now looks like the iPhone may skip USB-C altogether and go for a portless option.