Nother CarGuy

Aston Martin has finally revealed the production version of the Valhalla, a hybrid mid-engine supercar that pairs a 4.0-liter V8 with two electric motors to give it a combined output of 937 hp (950 PS/698 kW). The British brand calls the car a huge step forward for the company and a transformational moment. Joining the growing class of hybrid supercars, the Valhalla will look to turn Aston Martin’s fortunes. The brand is quick to clarify that although the new car will be a technological marvel, putting the driver at the center of the experience between the various motors. Kicking things off is a 4.0-liter twin-turbo flat-plane crank V8 engine, sourced from Mercedes-AMG. On its own, it develops a pretty impressive 739 hp (750 PS/551 kW) at 7,200 RPM and drives the rear axle. The engine is aided by a pair of electric motors at each axle. In all, the hybrid system adds 201 hp (204 PS/150 kW) to the experience. The car can drive on electricity alone, in which case the power is all sent to ...

The times they are a-chargin’. With an eye into the future, Ferrari has introduced its first six-cylinder engine on a road-going model since the seventies, the new 296 GTB. Designed to slot into the range above the F8 Tributo, Ferrari says it’s ‘the most fun to drive car in our product range’. Called the 296 GTB, the new car swaps the F8’s turbocharged eight-cylinder engine for a hybridised V6, making this Ferrari’s first six-cylinder sports car since the Dino 246 (which didn’t actually wear Ferrari badges). It will cost €269,000 (equivalent to $321,000/£231,000), and the first cars should be with European customers in early 2022, with U.S. cars arriving later that year. But if you’re worried about the loss of two cylinders resulting in a drop in performance, you can rest easy. The 2.9-liter 120-degree V6 gasoline engine alone makes 654 hp, giving 218 hp per liter, which, says Ferrari, is the highest specific output of any production car on sale. Add in the electric motor and you’ve go...

This is the all-new Ford Maverick, a compact unibody pickup truck with a hybrid powertrain as standard and a starting MSRP of $19,995. Ford calls the new Maverick America’s first standard full-hybrid pickup truck, claiming the title of the market’s most fuel-efficient truck with an EPA-estimated rating of 40 mpg in the city (37 mpg combined). The new Maverick is the baby of Ford’s truck family. How small you ask? At 199.7 inches long and 68.7 inches high, the new unibody truck is 11.1 inches shorter and 2.1 inches lower than the Ranger, which up until now was the smallest member of the lineup. Ford believes that the Maverick will attract entry-level customers looking for a more practical vehicle and even those who never before considered a truck. In a market dominated by SUVs and trucks, you can’t argue against a four-door pickup with a sub-$20k price tag that also happens to be hybrid. “The Maverick product proposition is like nothing else out there. It’s a great-looking truck featuri...

Maserati has revealed the new Levante Hybrid at the Shanghai Auto Show, taking the next step in the brand’s electrification strategy following the reveal of the Ghibli Hybrid last year. The new electrified variant of the Maserati Levante, which is also the first hybrid SUV with the trident badge, is powered by a four-cylinder 2.0-liter engine fitted with a 48-volt belt-driven starter-generator and paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The mild-hybrid Levante produces 325 HP (330 PS) and 331 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque and is available only with all-wheel-drive. Maserati also claims that the new Levante Hybrid is lighter than the six-cylinder petrol and diesel variants at 4,607 lbs (2,090 kg), and comes with a better weight distribution since the battery is placed in the rear. 0-62 mph (100 km/h) comes in 6 seconds while top speed is set at over 149 mph (240 km/h). The Italian carmaker also promises that the electrified Levante will still sound like a Maserati. The new Maserati ...

Tasked with the challenge of creating a production hybrid supercar that can bring the brand into an increasingly electrified future, McLaren’s engineers have been working overtime. And what they’ve come up with looks like it could balance the needs of the future with the expectations established by the brand’s other supercars. The result is the Artura, a 671 hp, mid-engined plug-in hybrid supercar that weighs about 3,300 lbs (1,496 kg) and can hit 60 mph in just three seconds. But to enumerate those figures so quickly doesn’t do this car justice – they need to be put in the correct context. That curb weight that would make a Lamborghini Aventador suck its gut in is achieved despite the Artura also lugging around a battery pack and an electric motor. These allow the McLaren to go 19 miles on electric power alone and help it achieve 50 mpg. Comparing it to the ICE-only Aventador’s 11 mpg would simply be unfair for the Lambo. McLaren managed to cut all that weight through obsessive attent...

Ferrari has revealed the new SF90 Spider, the droptop variant of the SF90 Stradale and the company’s first plug-in hybrid spider, during a special online event. As expected, the new Spider version of the Ferrari SF90 features the same heavily electrified powertrain as the fixed-roof model, meaning a combined output of 986 HP (1,000 PS) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque. The astonishing power figures are a combination of a twin-turbo V8 engine producing 769 HP (780 PS) with three electric motors kicking out an additional 217 HP (220 PS). This also gives the SF90 Spider AWD, while the gearbox is the latest eight-speed dual-clutch automatic unit. Ferrari claims that the SF90 Spider is just as fast as the Stradale in the 0-62 mph (100 km/h) at 2.5 seconds. 0-124 mph (200 km/h) comes in a breathtaking 7 seconds, while top speed is set at 211 mph (340 km/h). Turning the SF90 into a convertible comes with a 100 kg (220 lbs) weight penalty due to the necessary chassis reinforcements and the roo...

After a long wait, the beloved Jeep Grand Wagoneer nameplate is back, albeit as a near-production concept vehicle. Judging by what this “concept” shows us, the full-size premium SUV will be a promising offering when it enters production next year as a 2022 model. The new Grand Wagoneer is a tech-laden, plug-in hybrid concept that features the industry’s first passenger infotainment screen in an SUV. The 10.25-inch screen allows occupants to watch media, browse the internet or find destinations and send them to the driver. The passenger-side screen is shielded from the driver by a privacy film on the glass, allowing them to focus on the 12.1-inch center console display and the 12.3-inch digital instrument panel instead. Additionally, there’s a 10.25-inch horizontal comfort touchscreen below the central display for controlling the seats and the four-zone climate control. There are more screens inside the Grand Wagoneer than in the new S-Class, as second-row passengers also have three 10....

Toyota has lifted the veils off the all-new 2021 Sienna minivan, the fourth-generation of the popular nameplate. Designed, engineered and assembled in the United States, the 2021 Toyota Sienna adopts a bolder design that’s inline with the brand’s latest models, comes with a standard hybrid powertrain and Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, and offers available all-wheel drive. Based on the TNGA-K platform, the fourth-gen Sienna features a more daring design that Toyota says is influenced by SUVs and Japan’s Shinkansen ‘bullet train’. The minivan sports strong and robust proportions thanks to the shoulder-themed body design, muscular wheel flares and boldly sculpted surfaces. The front end features high-set headlights that interact with the small upper grille via chrome trim and the bold lower grille via the creases at their center. At the back, the 2021 Toyota Sienna sports LED taillights with an integrated black canard that’s said to improve aerodynamic performance, as well as ...