Good morning and welcome to our daily digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Buick Dealers To Invest $300k Or More To Sell Future EVs
Buick will be an all-electric brand by 2030, which means that dealers are faced with the option of investing in new tech and training or being left out in the cold. In Buick’s case, its Electra EV lineup will require dealers to have specific tooling in addition to new procedures. The total investment needed for dealers will be in the region of $300k–$400k. While Ford requires similar investment for EVs, the Blue Oval will continue to build ICE cars, whereas if Buick dealers don’t make the switch, they’ll be out of business by default.
Driven: The McLaren Artura Gives You 671 Reasons To Love Its Plug-In Hybrid Powertrain
The McLaren P1 may have been famed for its impressive hybrid drivetrain, but it’s the spirit of that car that is embodied by the new Artura — the company’s first series-production high-performance hybrid supercar. We say hybrid, but the 671-bhp drivetrain can only manage 11 miles of electric-only range. But the Artura is so much more than any of these facts or figures suggest, as we found out when we got behind the wheel.
Special Report: 2022 Hyundai Australia’s N Festival Is The Ultimate Owner Track Day
Now in its fifth year, Australia’s N Festival has become a highlight for owners of the high-performance Hyundais. The event is open to all owners of Hyundai’s various N vehicles in Australia, costs just AU$55 ($37) to attend, and grants participants a weekend full of activities, a track day, and plenty of free goodies. This year the event took place at The Bend Motorsport Park in Adelaide, and we decided to tag along and report back on what non-N-owners are missing out on.
Isotta Fraschini Is Readying A Hybrid Hypercar For Le Mans
Isotta Fraschini is making a comeback — a brand that has been largely dead since the 1940s (despite a brief revival attempt in the 90s) — with a new car revealed to take part in the upcoming 2023 Le Mans Hypercar class. The hypercar will sport a 3.0-liter V6 with a pair of turbochargers and a hybrid system with a seven-speed sequential transmission. The Italian outfit is being bankrolled by Colombian businessman Frank Kanayet Yepes and has already inked partnerships with Pankl, Bosch, Williams, Multimatic, Brembo, and PWR.
Which Brand Has The Best-Looking Range This Year?
A question to close out 2022: which automaker currently has the best-looking lineup going into the new year? We feel like Alfa Romeo, Genesis, and Land Rover are all up for contention. Looking at the comments, our readers have suggested Ferrari, Mazda, and Acura. Are we missing something? Have your say!
Cadillac Celestiq Face-Swapped With Rolls-Royce, Bentley, And Maybach
The latest car to get our face-swap treatment is the brand-new EV flagship from Cadillac: the Celestiq. We wanted to experiment with how the design would translate with some other flagship snouts grafted on to the front, so we chose offerings from Mercedes-Maybach, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley. Which do you think looks the best?
What Else Is Making The News
Gamers Confused Over Epic’s Free Game Offer
For Christmas, the Epic Games Store decided to give away a free copy of Death Stranding to customers but switched the version after just a few hours. Initially, Death Stranding: Director’s Cut was available before it was switched to the standard version of the game.,
YouTube To Test Queuing System For iOS And Android
YouTube will be testing a new system whereby premium users will be able to add videos to a stack, becoming an impermanent playlist much like what’s found on the YouTube music app. According to The Verge, the test will be available until January 28.