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There's a rather oddball car coming up for sale at the upcoming Mecum auction, and we genuinely can't decide if it's awesome or awful: a 1999 SEMA show car built by General Motors as the Oldsmobile Intrigue 442.For those unfamiliar, the 4-4-2 is, or at least was, an institution as Oldsmobile. First introduced in 1964 in response to Pontiac's GTO—this was at a time when GM brands were competing with each other—the Cutlass-based 4-4-2 offered a beefed-up chassis, bigger brakes, and a 330-cubic-inch (5.4-liter) V-8 souped up to 310 horsepower. The 4-4-2 designation indicated a four-barrel carburetor, four-speed manual transmission, and dual exhausts. (The designation stuck even after Olds started selling 4-4-2s with two-speed automatics.) The 4-4-2 was a huge hit, and despite the collapse of the muscle car market and the onset of the Malaise Era, Olds delivered a 4-4-2 every year through 1980.Aside from a one-year revival in '85 (when Olds applied the name to the '83-84 Hurst Olds, itself a credible companion to Chevy's Monte Carlo SS and Buick's Grand National), there were no 4-4-2s in the '80s, but in 1990 the name reappeared in the most unlikely of places: Oldsmobile's aging Calais. The oft-forgotten (and now dehyphenated) Calais 442 version featured the high-output Quad 4 engine, GM's first serious attempt at a modern 16-valve DOHC I-4. Oldsmobile said the designation stood for four cylinders, four valves per cylinder and two camshafts, which was still pretty hot stuff at the time.Turns out the "2" also stood for how many years this model lasted. When the even more forgettable Achieva replaced the Calais for '92, Olds turned its back on yesterday, naming the equally unsuccessful performance version SCX. And that was it for the 442—until the 1999 SEMA Show, when this strange little gem appeared. Oldsmobile was trying to imbue its dull-as-paper Intrigue with some actual intrigue, so it stuffed a 550-hp Cadillac Northstar V-8 under the hood.Let us repeat that salient detail, lest it escape you. Olds, in the throes of General Motors' dullest days, right smack dab in the middle of creating some of the most forgettable cars in the corporation's then-90-year history, put a 550-hp Northstar V-8 in an Intrigue.That sentence is truly magnificent, at least until you get to the last word.That's why we can't decide of the Intrigue is awesome or awful. The Northstar's shine had begun to dull by the end of the '90s, but it was a good, smooth-running engine (the antithesis of the Quad 4!), and 550 hp is nothing to sneeze at, even if it was delivered through the front wheels. The Intrigue was a semi-credible sedan that Oldsmobile less credibly tried to sell as a luxury/performance car. In reality, our own testing found that it rivaled the Toyota Camry for both road manners and anonymity. There is a reason the Oldsmobile Intrigue is not the stuff of car shows.We can't decide if the Intrigue 442's details are cool or crud. There's the white-and-gold paint, a nod to the Hurst/Olds versions of the 4-4-2 that appeared sporadically throughout the '60s, '70s, and '80s. But the application of the old trim—as a stripe bracketed between gold renditions of Oldsmobile's anonymous new logo—is clumsy. The twin-scoop hood is cool, but the gills on the front bumper look like room vents bought at Home Depot. (They are apparently actual grille inserts from a 1970 4-4-2, which just goes to show that real estate agents are right: Location is everything.) And those wheels—Hellooooo, Y2k!We can't imagine what this thing is like to drive; the torque steer must be epic. Nor will we know if GM ever planned to turn this one-off into a production car, because in December 2000, GM abruptly announced its plans to shutter the Oldsmobile brand. Development on new products stopped, the Intrigue was killed after 2002, and by the end of 2004, the historic brand was itself history.And that is what makes this strange muscle car so intriguing—the last factory-produced 4-4-2 is a genuine GM-built piece of what might have been. The auction page doesn't tell us a whole lot about this car, but it looks clean and largely original, and it's selling with no reserve. If you buy it—and by all means, you should buy it—will you take us for a ride? Please?

In the late '70s, the automotive performance world had been decimated by government regulations and soaring gas prices. MPG and going far had replaced having fun and going fast. If you were a hot-rodder, it was a dark time. Things over at the Chrysler Corporation were especially bad and the company was on the verge of going belly-up. Then along came a guy named Lee Iacocca to try and right the floundering ship. Spoiler alert: He pulled off a minor miracle and saved Chrysler.

With the way that Hyundai has been going here lately, we can't help but think the future is bright thanks to its Ioniq EV brand. Its original Ioniq gave us mixed feelings but then came the Ioniq 5 and we were rather impressed with its futuristic design, multiple battery and motor configurations, and fast charging. The Ioniq 6 will have a lot to live up to and, at least on paper, looks to achieve that. Off paper, Hyundai has also elaborated on some notorious details about the Metaverse and NFTs, too.Different In AmericaThe 2024 Ioniq 6 will have a 12 inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12 inch digital cluster. Out on the far edges of the dashboard are two screens, one for each side and these will be used for the side views using digital outside rearview cameras. At least, if you're outside the U.S. Due to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the U.S.-sold Ioniq 6s will not receive the digital mirrors and will only get a pair of boring, conventional exterior mirrors. They also come with a drag penalty that we mentioned earlier in this story, with the 0.21 Cd increasing to 0.25 Cd. We also will not get those monitors at the edges of the dashboard and the "wingtips" they are set into are shorter on the U.S. version of the Ioniq 6.What will remain are those four LEDs on the airbag of the steering wheel that serve as status indicators on the Ioniq 6, in which the four "dots" are also the same Morse code signal for the letter "H." Remember, pixels are a theme with Ioniq and the four dots on the airbag are much better looking than a large chrome "H," in our opinion.The battery sizes, by the way, are identical to those offered by the Ioniq 5, which delivers 220 miles of EPA-estimated range with its smallest 53-kWh battery; 274 miles with the 77-kWh battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive; or 303 miles with the larger battery and rear-drive. Given the 6's air-cheating shape, it likely will improve on those figures here.Same Battery, More RangeThe 77.4-kWh battery is estimated to deliver around 379 miles on a single, full charge under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) estimate. Compared to the Ioniq 5's 315 mile WLTP range, that's an impressive improvement. Most of its range is due to its swoopy aerodynamic design and more efficient motor and controller technology. The Ioniq 6 also features flaps in its bumper that open only when cooling is needed for the battery and motor system.At the rear comes in its dual spoilers, which aren't quite used for downforce but instead help with the separation of the wind as it flows down the rear window. That separation can cause drag and the upper rear spoiler is designed to break up a vortex that's created as air separates away from the roof. The lower rear spoiler catches any leftover air and straightens it out as it leaves the vehicle. The upper spoiler also lights up with "pixels," which is a huge theme of the Ioniq brand. The good news is that, despite its dramatic departure from the roof, the view out of the rear windshield isn't too bad.While the electronics use next generation semiconductors with a more efficient design, the motor uses hairpin windings, which use a solid core wiring over the stranded wire used in typical motor windings. This solid wire allows for a high fill factor and better thermal performance, and those help lead to a more efficient use of power. Hyundai claims the Ioniq 6 with its standard range 53 kWh battery and standard 18 inch wheels (20 inch wheels are optional) with a single motor will get roughly 22.5 kWh/100 miles for the RWD model.For comparison, the Mustang Mach E RWD gets 33 kWh/100 miles and the Ioniq 5 RWD gets 31 kWh/100 miles. Unfortunately, Hyundai didn't say what the range was using the AWD version. However, the AWD dual motor version is capable of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque when both motors are combined. The Ioniq 6 hits 60 mph in 5 seconds in its highest-performance configuration, a conservative figure given how an identically powered and blockier Ioniq 5 did the deed in 4.4 in our testing.Even more impressive is the time it takes to get to 80 percent charge. From 10 percent it only takes 18 minutes to get to 80 percent because the Ioniq 6 uses an 800 volt ultra-fast 350 kW charge rate. Suddenly, range and time to charge aren't the issues they were just a few years ago. While that might worry you if you only have a 400 volt infrastructure, you won't have an issue as the car works with that system, as well.Tuning Without The Need For A Handheld TunerJust because the Ioniq 6 is being sold to us as an extremely efficient EV, it's not lacking performance. Even better, that performance can be adjusted to suit your needs using Hyundai's EV Performance Tune-up system in the Ioniq 6. With just a few button clicks (and without the need for some sort of tuner like you would on your ICE vehicle), the steering effort, motor power, accelerator sensitivity, and driveline mode can be adjusted to the liking of the driver.No, this doesn't require a special N-version of the Ioniq 6, but that's not out of the realm of possibility, according to Hyundai. You can even change how your Ioniq 6 sounds on the inside with its e-ASD. While an EV will be silent, the Electric Vehicle-Active Sound Design (e-ASD) will allow owners to tailor when its "spaceship-like" sound is piped into the cabin, and it's capable of changing based on the Ioniq 6's driving status.Of course, Over The Air (OTA) updates are common on many vehicles today and the Ioniq 6 will be no exception save for one thing. Rather than just updating firmware and navigational maps, Ioniq 6 owners will be able to add and improve functions via OTA. Hyundai says this will "provide a safer and more convenient driving experience." When you think about it, your Ioniq 6 will be as customizable and unique as the smartphone in your hands. Sure, someone else will have the same model but not everyone will have the same apps and features.Trashion DesignerTo demonstrate the capabilities of the interior, Hyundai used people connected to the Metaverse. Yeah, kind of cringy, but hear us out. While a spacious interior should be a given on a dedicated EV platform, the Ioniq 6 will look to expand interior room for all passengers in its roughly 9.68 feet long wheelbase by using innovative seating materials. A woman that was a "trashion designer," who uses recycled materials like old fishing nets and plastics to make materials for fashion design, was shown laying back using the Relaxation Comfort Seats in the first row.The use of high-density foam and high-strength steel frames means these optional Ioniq 6 front seats can be thin. According to Hyundai, these seats are 30 percent thinner than conventional passenger seats while still being comfortable to sit in and we can attest to that. The seats are very "Volvo-like," as one of our editors pointed out when they sat in the car. They also noted how the texture on the center arm rest and console are both visually interesting and soft to the touch. "It's almost as if it's fabric, but it's not, it's soft touch plastic," they noted.Another scene showed off a guy who worked as a show designer that worked in the Metaverse. He was also the type of person who uses driving to get his mind clear and come up with unique ideas. What was interesting about his drive was the Hyundai's use of dual color ambient lighting. Not only are these lights capable of further interior customization with its 64 color spectrum, but it was also capable of "Speed Sync Lighting," which would change the brightness of the first row ambient lights depending on the speed of the Ioniq 6. The faster he drove, the brighter the lights became and the slower, the dimmer. Hyundai claims that this adds some emotion to the driving experience.Power EverywhereThe final example was a woman who ran a livestream on the topic of shows and events in the Metaverse. Just a warning, that's not the last time you're going to hear about the Metaverse in this article. Anyhow, the features she used were related to the center console and the multiple power outlets within the Ioniq 6's cabin. For power, you'll get no less than four USB Type-C ports (two up front and two for the rear passengers) and a single USB Type-A port.The front passengers also get wireless charging in the front center console area. You'll also get power outlets under the back row seat for laptop, phone, and other device charging with a 12 volt port down in the bin under the center console and a 120 volt outlet below the rear seat in the center. If you want to use your laptop inside, as our livestreamer did, the Ioniq 6's center console is also helping to redefine the work space. It's able to fit a standard laptop on the front center console without any need for special trays or transformations. The only issue is that is also where the window controls are for the front passengers, but it does at least have a huge space under it for storage thanks to its very flat floor.Unfortunately, the rear passengers are going to need to be a little bit on the short side. While they get "tons" of rear leg and shoulder room, the headroom is just enough. "Long torsos beware," said one editor, "my hair was touching the ceiling." This is inherent to the body design for its aerodynamic shape. It also cuts into the cargo room, of which the trunk is very deep back to front and lift over height is pretty low, but it's not very tall, you'd have to lay down large suitcases flat and not on their taller edges.The good news but bad news is that there is no spare tire, but that allows for a little bit of hidden storage under the trunk floor. The trunk lid is also powered on the upscaled trims. Another issue is the way the 60/40 split rear seats fold down. Rather than have releases on the seats so they can be reached from the cabin, the only releases are located in the trunk. You also get a two-tier storage in the "frunk," but due to its design for aerodynamics, the frunk space is smaller than the Ioniq 5. Fortunately, you do get extra pockets in the rear doors just in front of the speakers and the glovebox opens like a drawer, which should allow for a much deeper storage area there.The Ioniq 6 is also the latest Hyundai EV to allow its owner to use the vehicle as a large, mobile generator. Just like the Ioniq 5, the 6 has vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality and allows its owners to charge devices using an adaptor from Hyundai that plugs into the vehicle charging port. This allows Ioniq 6 users to charge devices when the power's out (hello, Texas), camping, or when just when you're doing outdoor stuff like tailgating at a sporting event.The infotainment system will be able to work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a multiple Bluetooth connection can allow two devices to connect to the Ioniq 6 at the same time. This allows you to have one phone used for calls and the other used for music streaming, for example. That music will come out of a Bose sound system with eight speakers that includes a subwoofer. Navigation is enhanced by the Ioniq 6's connected car services that helps you find chargers and plans your best route depending on its charge state. Finally, if you need to remind yourself of an idea or note, the Ioniq 6 has a voice memo feature so you can recall that in your own voice.Color It ImpressedFor the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6, there will be 12 colors available at launch that include Gravity Gold Matte, Abyss Black Pearl, Serenity White Pearl, Curated Silver Metallic, Noctume Gray Metallic, Noctume Gray Matte, Transmission Blue Pearl, Biophilic Blue Pearl, Ultimate Red Metallic, Digital Green Pearl, Digital Green Matte, and Byte Blue. Inside there will only be four color options: Dark Gray with light gray, dark olive green with light gray, black with pale brown, and black.There is another reason as to why they choose to go with this "Efficient Streamliner" design on the Ioniq 6. Hyundai's design language today is like a chess set rather than Russian nesting dolls. Each model is clearly related, but not same design on a differently sized vehicle. The idea is to design each vehicle to the target customer and their lifestyle and rather than body designs, details like the pixels carryover to each Ioniq to give some brand continuity.That pixel motif is also carried out where ever Hyundai could get away with it. It's in the lights, the fabric, and anywhere else it would work visually, even if it was just subtle. The other reason for the Ioniq 6 shape is that they already have an EV SUV in the works with the Ioniq 7, which we got a computer generated tease of during the press event. They really just didn't need another boxy, SUV-like vehicle.Remember That Metaverse Warning…2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Electric Car 11What's become common recently, despite the crashing state of cryptocurrency at the time of writing, is new cars getting NFTs. The Ioniq 6 is no different and there will be a tie-in NFT when it launches in 2023. You'd think that after the failure of the Corvette NFT manufacturers would stop this, but it appears they won't. Despite that, there are slightly more fun and interesting ideas within the whole metaverse systems out there that Hyundai participates in.There is the extended reality (XR) content called the Ioniq 6 Digital Studio. This allows users to experience a variety of interactive content related to the Ioniq 6 through their laptops, mobile devices, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) including the ability to use head mounted displays for both AR and VR. Quite possibly the oddest is the Roblox Hyundai Mobility Adventure tie in that exists in the Roblox metaverse. Yeah, we don't quite get that either, but there is Planet Hyundai on ZEPETO. Both experiences allow users to do virtual test drives and even experience the core features of the Ioniq 6.Hyundai closed by saying that the Ioniq 6 will begin production in the third quarter of 2022 for the world but U.S. production starts in January of 2023. Sales will then start in Q1 2023 for the North American market. Of course, that does all depend on how the supply chain is able to serve Hyundai by that point. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary, and your order might be built at a much later date.