Introducing MatoCar's 2022 Performance Vehicle of the Year: A New Era
Welcome to MotorTrend's inaugural Performance Vehicle of the Year (PVOTY) competition. A quick history: We've awarded our Car of the Year title since 1949. In 1978, we added Truck of the Year and then SUV of the Year in 1999. Alongside Person of the Year, these have been our automotive Of The Year awards for decades. Until now.
Why, and why now? It's instructive to look back at MotorTrend's old Import Car of the Year. First awarded in 1970, the idea of ICOTY was to finally acknowledge an indisputable truth: Cars from auto manufacturers outside of America were here to stay and should be celebrated, at least for a while.
We awarded ICOTY alongside COTY until 1999, when my predecessors decided to fold the former back into the latter because shifts in automotive manufacturing and global economics challenged the notion of what constitutes foreign and domestic vehicle production. What is a car's country of origin if the engine is made in Brazil, the body panels are stamped in Canada, the transmission and wiring harness are produced in Mexico, and final assembly occurs in Michigan? Or if multiple factories around the world assemble the same vehicle? Our editorial forebears ultimately decided none of this matters and that the inherent goodness of the car, the breakthrough experience it delivers, and how history would view it were much more important.
They read the room and made the right call, which is what we are doing here with our focus on performance. I submit to you the following:
We live in a golden automotive age. Thirteen years ago, we reported the horsepower wars were over. We were wrong. To twitch an eyebrow these days, you need at least 500 hp, if not four figures for tongues to really start wagging. This inflation is not just limited to hyper-expensive exotic cars. For $37,000, you can buy a Ford Mustang GT with 460 ponies. Need more vroom? Try the 505-hp Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Or if you need to move a couch, in a hurry, up a sand dune? The 702-hp Ram 1500 TRX has you covered.
These power and torque increases, along with all the fancy systems that allow their delivery, have resulted in a golden age of performance, as well. Those who monitor lap records at the vaunted Nürburgring Nordschleife know what I'm talking about. It used to be that a stock production car lapping the iconic German test track in less than 8 minutes joined an exclusive club. Now, a hot hatch like the Honda Civic Type R is quicker than that, and we see Porsches, Mercedes-AMGs, and Lamborghinis running in the 6:40 (or quicker) bracket. Our own testing bears this out; in the past two years, we've seen our 0-60 record fall twice—first to less than 3.0 seconds and then to almost less than 2.0. This is bonkers.
Megawatt advances in automotive tech are responsible for a lot of this golden-era shine. While one of the highest-horsepower production cars is still a 16-cylinder, quad-turbo, gas-burning Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, you can order our electrifying 2022 Car of the Year Lucid Air with up to 1,111 hp, or a Tesla Model S with 1,020 hp. On the truck side, the Hummer EV pickup is also available with 1,000 hp, and our 2022 Truck of the Year, the Rivian R1T, comes standard with 835 hp. Oh, and the two vehicles that broke our 0-60 record? Electric all-stars from Porsche and Tesla.
As we continue to cover the evolution of the automobile and the automotive industry, we believe our electrified future is inevitable, so we're going to walk a second, parallel path with all the existing, mostly gas-burning vehicles we know and love.
Internal combustion technology has never seen higher outputs, greater efficiency, or more thrills per cubic inch than right now. But as more carmakers trumpet about going all in on EVs, we receive quietly distributed notices about their final run of internal combustion engines, starting with the burliest V-10s and V-8s. Exiting right alongside: manual transmissions.
We know some of you mourn the coming loss of dropping the clutch, mashing the gas, and ripping your right hand through six or seven gears. You loudly curse this transition; we hear you and understand. Every year, for more than a decade, we sent dozens of staffers on the road for two weeks, testing and driving the world's top sports cars in search of the Best Driver's Car. But that BDC program has run its course; PVOTY is Version 2.0, built upon the belief it's possible to be excited for the future, embracing all the broken barriers to come, while celebrating the end of an era. That is what we set out to do with our Performance Vehicle of the Year. We're applying our decades of experience and rigorous, industry-leading Of The Year framework to the realm of performance machines, whatever body style they happen to come in.
Time is short. The world is changing. So let's round up the stickiest-tired whoop machines—whether gas- or electron-powered—and smoke 'em while we got 'em (and can still drive 'em). Please enjoy our first MotorTrend Performance Vehicle of Year competition.
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toyota corolla-hybrid Full OverviewWith gas prices taking a bigger bite than ever out of everyone's wallets, suddenly an ultra-efficient car like the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is having a moment. Yearning for an SUV or anything "cooler?" Just think about all you could do with the cash you save at the pump. We figured the time is ripe for our first check-in with the fuel-sipping sedan since its debut, even before the revised 2023 version arrives later this year with a new touchscreen, upgraded safety features, a new hybrid battery, and optional all-wheel drive.Why It's ImportantThe 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is a rolling shrine to affordability in a time of grotesque price inflation. How does 52 mpg and a $25,075 price tag sound? In 2022, that's practically talking dirty to any weary car shopper who's facing $5/gallon gas and average new-car transaction prices pushing $50,000.To recap, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is cheaper than a Prius and the more stylish Hyundai Elantra hybrid, though not quite as efficient. It trades the regular the Corolla's 1.8-liter gasoline engine for a hybridized version assisted by dual electric motors. This 121-hp, 105-lb-ft powertrain (including its continuously variable automatic transmission) is pulled directly out of and nails the same 52-mpg combined rating as the base Prius. You might notice the hubcapped lightweight aluminum wheels and hybrid badges, though the smaller 11.4-gallon fuel tank (regular Corollas get 13.4-gallon tanks) and 600-volt lithium-ion battery stuffed under the rear seat are well hidden.Pros: What We LikeWe mentioned the 52 mpg, right? During the course of 200 miles of tooling around Dallas for a week, we easily achieved that figure, which theoretically delivers nearly 600 miles of range per fill-up. We drove the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid normally, too, squirting in and out of traffic like we needed to get someplace; oh, and there was a heatwave, so we blasted the A/C to combat average daytime temps hovering past 100 degrees. In other words, we didn't "hypermile" the Corolla Hybrid by treating its gas pedal like an eggshell, coasting more than a mile to a stop, or sweating without A/C. Nor does the Toyota make pained noises when you demand everyday acceleration from it. Credit the hybrid's seemingly substantial ability to drive around under electric power alone. Even at higher speeds, the engine will wink off and you can even (gently) accelerate on electrons alone. There's an electric-drive mode, too, though it only delivers about a mile of EV-only travel at a time, and at slower speeds.The powertrain is smooth and mostly quiet, with the engine note picking up only when you mat the throttle. While objectively slow—our most recent test data says it needs more than 10 seconds to reach 60 mph—the Toyota feels adequately powered. Select the "PWR" mode, and engine revs stay higher, and it almost feels punchy up to about 40 mph. Avoid the Eco mode, as it dulls most inputs and reminds you of just how leisurely this sedan's performance really is.This is no penalty box, either. With its relatively small-diameter wheels (15-inchers!) and soft suspension tuning, the 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid rolls quietly and smoothly over even the worst city streets. An 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, automatic single-zone climate control, a mostly digital gauge cluster, LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, and lane-keep assist are standard. An optional package adds blind-spot monitoring for $500, and a Premium package throws some leather on the steering-wheel rim, replaces the cloth seat upholstery with eco-friendly faux leather, and adds front-seat heaters. The trunk is big and has a nicely shaped opening, and even offers a pass-through to the cabin.Cons: What We Don't LikeThree years into its lifespan, the Toyota Corolla is neither as nicely appointed nor well-packaged as the Honda Civic. Interior materials are just OK, the rear seat is tighter, and storage throughout the interior is lacking. The center console has only a single cubby buried under the dash that can't fit a regular-sized iPhone, and the armrest cubby is tiny. Rear passengers do without air vents, USB ports, or door pockets that can hold anything of note. There is at least a fold-down center rear armrest with two cupholders.Other complaints include the fuzzy graphics on the touchscreen—soon to be addressed with the sharp new Toyota Multimedia Audio system on the 2023 model—and the doughy handling. Between the soft suspension and hard, fuel-economy-biased tires, the Corolla rolls more than is typical for a compact sedan and can require corrections at the wheel when it meets bumps while turning or sailing up an off-ramp. Also, yes, if you're the sort of driver that shoots for gaps in traffic or regularly drag races others from stoplights, the Hybrid is not quick, something also being addressed on the newer model next year.The Bottom LineThe 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is the right car for the times, and it's better-looking than a Prius. But wait for the 2023 model if you want some of its flaws ironed out.Looks good! More details?2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid 2022 Toyota Corolla Hybrid BASE PRICE $25,075 LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 1.8L/121-hp/105-lb-ft Atkinson-cycle DOHC 16-valve I-4, plus 71-hp/105-lb-ft electric motor; 121 hp/105 lb-ft comb TRANSMISSION CVT CURB WEIGHT 2,900 lb (mfr) WHEELBASE 106.3 in L x W x H 182.3 x 70.1 x 56.5 in 0-60 MPH 10.3 sec (MT est) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 53/52/53 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 600 miles ON SALE Now Show All
Mecum is auctioning a rare 1942 Harley-Davidson XA military motorcycle from World War II that boasts many early engineering firsts in the company's long history. Developed after the U.S. and its allies came up against superior BMW motorcycles during the war, it aimed to beat the Nazis at their own game. Now one newly restored example can be yours.The XA was an attempt to overcome the Nazis' all-terrain superiority, particularly in North Africa, and to address issue that American bikes had involving chains in rough terrain. Harley landed on a shaft drive setup, solving that problem. And the most expedient way to engineer a shaft-drive bike was to reverse-engineer an existing one, like the excellent overhead-cam BMW R75M used by the enemy. Perhaps unable to get its hands on an R75M, the XA copied the civilian flathead R71, which wasn't quite as well-optimized for the task.Despite being a copycat, be reassured that the XA is still a true Harley-Davidson. Around 1,000 XAs were built in Milwaukee for the U.S. Army during the war, according to the Mecum, and it resulted in many production firsts for the company. It is claimed to be Harley-Davidson's first shaft-drive, four-speed, foot-shift and hand-clutch motorcycle, and also the first equipped with two carburetors. The motor's opposed cylinders were positioned "across the frame" for improved cooling in the wind compared to Harley's longitudinal V-twin designs of the time. It was also the first Harley to feature a rear-suspension plunger, and had a top speed of over 60 MPH back in 1942. The XA Type II (this example is a Type I) got Harley's first telescopic forks, which didn't reappear on Harley-Davidson designs again until years after the war.The XA, innovative as it was relative to Harley's native bikes, wasn't a success. Consider that Harley produced over 80,000 units of its V-twin motorcycles during the war, while the XA was only ordered for testing. Ultimately, the Army declined to order any more, and its role fell to the Jeep, far superior for general purpose tactical mobility. You may find it a little more adaptable to suit your interests, which are hopefully more peaceful.This isn't the first time this exact motorcycle has been auctioned in recent years. It appears to have previously been auctioned by Mecum in 2015, according to the matching plate numbers in both sets of images, where it failed to meet reserve at a high bid of $30,000. It was expected to go for as much as $50,000, but this time it's offered with no reserve.The restoration finished this XA with leather saddle-bags, a beautiful speedometer detail, and according to the listing, the auction lot includes a special mounted case for a period-appropriate "non-firing" Thompson sub-machine gun that is apparently included in the deal. The auction is in Vegas, in case that wasn't obvious.Whatever else this XA is, it's a newly restored WWII Harley-Davidson that's also particularly rare and interesting, and at least we know the bike should run very cool and catch plenty of attention. The lot is up for auction with no reserve until Jan. 29, according to the Mecum website.
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